Early Literacy a Guide for Parents
A major part of our work with children is developing Early Literacy Skills. One of the most significant steps in learning to read is a gradual understanding of the visual aspect of print. That is the individual letters and groups of letters that correspond to the sounds we hear in speaking.
In nursery as well as at home, we can help children in this process by:
- Reciting and singing nursery rhymes.
- Using rhymes of all kinds to make sounds fun.
- Encouraging children to dress up and act out their favourite rhymes and stories.
- Encouraging the children to make up their own rhyming songs
- Drawing the children’s attention to words that start/end with the same letters and sounds.
Number rhymes are also good fun and help children to remember the order of numbers.
Enjoy reading together at home (Helpful ideas)
- Talk about the title (the name of the book)
- Talk about the Author (the person who wrote the book)
- Look for the name of the illustrator who drew the pictures and talk about what’s happening in them
- Show your child that the story reads from left to right and from top to bottom (left page first then right page)
- Let your child hold the book as you read together and encourage them to carefully turn the pages, point to the words and talk about what is happening in the pictures
You could also help your child look for print in items around the home or outside (environmental print walk).
Other ideas can be found at https://literacytrust.org.uk/parents-and-families/