Can you picture a baby reading a board book, holding it upside down?
Or... A baby reading with a parent about the eensy weensy spider and doing the actions together.
Or... 
Growls, barks, and meows that we hear as a baby
recognizes pictures of their favorite animals in a picture book.
We can all call up images in our minds of a young baby reading a book. These images are endearing and cute. But are they also accomplishing something useful? Is the baby gaining something from these interactions that would not be gained from a different type of activity? YES! (Of course, sometimes they prefer to eat the books, but don't let this fool you. They are gaining important insights into literacy through shared experiences with books.)
Children's awareness and exploration of literacy begin at birth. If young children are surrounded by printed material and read to frequently, they will come to understand some key concepts about literacy very early on.
As toddlers, children's awareness and exploration of literacy changes. Now they recognize that print is something special. They get excited when they find letters or numbers all around them--on their shirt, on a sign, on a grocery sack. They pretend to write and want someone to read what they have written. We have all seen a toddler or baby reading her favorite book (sometimes word for word): and reading it, and reading it, and reading it. They are preparing to enter the world of print.
How does awareness develop?Oral language is the foundation for literacy. The most important way that we can help very young children prepare to learn literacy is to open up the world of language to them.
The following are some important ideas that children need to understand about oral language:
- Language represents the world around us
- A person can ask questions and get answers
- Language can help us name and categorize everything in our world
- Communication is a way to enhance relationships with others
- Communication is a way to get what we want and need
The two primary skills in oral language are vocabulary and language structure (the way we put words together into sentences). If we help children build these skills, they will have a much easier time learning to read and write.:
There are endless opportunities to develop oral language with young children. Here are a few suggestions:
- When your child tries to explain something, model a different way to say it back to them. This will help the child learn language structure.
- Go places or do new things together. These can be very simple. Use new vocabulary that is related to the activity while you are doing it. For example, plant a flower together and point out to the child the different things a plant needs, the parts of the plant, etc. Then make a book together about the activity and remember the new words again.
- Sing songs or say nursery rhymes together.
Babies' and toddlers' innate curiosity leads them down the road to literacy. First they become aware of the world of print and then they explore it with a vengeance! In the toddler years, children often attempt to communicate with written language. What they are lacking in skill, they make up for in desire. They know that written language is for communication, and they are sure their scribbles can be read just like everyone else's. They also learn to read words of special meaning such as their own names or the names of familiar places. For example, many two-year-olds can find a McDonalds from the car even before their parents see it. You can often find a baby reading a favorite book (or several) that they can "read" by themselves.
The following are some key concepts that children gain as they develop print awareness:
- Printed language is different from pictures
- Printed language has meaning--it also represents the world around us
- Printed language is useful for communication with others
- Printed language is made up of letters and numbers
- Letters and numbers are all around us
There are many ways to help young children gain print awareness and become excited about reading and writing. Here are a few suggestions:
- Read simple books together. Don't be discouraged if the child does not stay engaged for more than a few seconds. Over time, a child who is read to will learn to love books. Make it a positive experience and use this time to build vocabulary.
- Name the items in the books.
- Write a letter together. Let the child dictate the words while you write them down.
- Read a recipe and cook together. Talk about following the recipe in order to cook the food correctly.
There are six skill areas that are important for early literacy development. Click on the links below for ideas, games, and activities to help develop these skills.
Note: A child may be at one stage of development for one skill and a different stage for another skill. It is natural for children to learn different things at different paces. Pay attention to what the child can do and what the child seems ready to learn. This gives the best indication of which level the child is on.
- Letters and Sounds
- Sight Words
- Beginning Writing
- Vocabulary and Oral Language
- Phonological Awareness
For all of the stages of emergent literacy, click on the links below
Experimental Reading and Writing
Early Reading and Writing
Transitional Reading and Writing
Competent Reading and Writing
