Literacy & Storytimes

Did you know that literacy skills, or the ability to read and write, begin to form well before your child is school age? It’s called emergent literacy. Research has shown that even very young children can make associations between print and meaning. Also, studies show that children who are exposed to literacy at an early age, before they reach kindergarten level, show a much higher success rate at reading activities when they do reach school. How can you foster emergent literacy in your child? Here are a few tips to get your child started on the path to reading success.

• Begin by making reading a shared event. Create a special, fun time to share a book with your child. It can occur any time of day; at nap or bedtime, after a meal, or just any time you can spend together in a positive, warm way. 
• Don’t set any time limits. Even if you can only read half the book, or if your child enjoys the same page over and over, that’s okay. Babies may want to hold the book or put it in their mouth! That’s okay, too. When you let children explore books in their own way, it becomes a positive experience to them too.
• You don’t have to read the words they way they appear in the book.  Sometimes it’s fun to make up the story using the pictures. Then have your child “read” the story back to you. Talk about the story! Ask questions and make connections to your child’s own world: “See the puppy.  We have a puppy. What’s our puppy’s name?” Make sharing a book with your child a routine part of your day and most of all, make it fun!