Write On!

Reading, writing, talking, singing and playing are the five primary early literacy practices that the library promotes in our storytimes, programs, and conversations with parents and caregivers. Many parents wonder at first about the “writing” component of this list. Most children won’t write intelligibly until they are older, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t encourage the elemental foundation of writing from a very early age.

Children naturally want to imitate the things they see us doing, so making to-do lists, generating grocery lists, and composing lists of books to look for at the library are all common tasks that may spark an interest in writing for them. Thank-you notes from children, even when they’re not entirely legible, are always a joy to receive. Resorting to good, old-fashioned pencils and paper instead of a keyboard will show them that the act of writing still serves a purpose. While it’s true that keyboards will probably be their primary tool in the future, there are definite benefits to learning to write and form the letters they’re learning to recognize in print. The physical act of holding a pencil or crayon has the extra perk of stimulating certain pathways in the brain that add to their readiness to read in the future. Taking it a step further, cursive writing has been found to help the brain learn how to better integrate visual and tactile information, and develops even greater fine motor dexterity.

Making sure there are always writing utensils nearby is the first step in creating a “writing-friendly” home. Chalk boards, white boards, or large pads of newsprint, and plenty of crayons, pencils, and markers give them the opportunity to practice writing on a blank surface. I know it may sound scary to leave those things within reach, but at least having them readily available on request will make it easier for them to indulge a desire to “make their mark” on a blank sheet. There is even paint you can buy that simulates a chalk board, making an entire wall eligible and ready for decoration and letter-writing practice. Sidewalk chalk is a great choice for outdoor practice, and special notepads or cards for letters to grandparents, teachers, or cousins can make the exercise even more meaningful. So encourage the writers in your house, as young as they may be. You may find some fan mail waiting for you in the future!

Guest post by Bridget W. 

Talk, Talk, Talk!

There are five early literacy practices (talking, singing, reading, writing and playing) that help children develop the skills that are the foundation for reading. We incorporate these early literacy practices into our storytimes at the library. Parents and caregivers can also reinforce and help their children’s brain development through regular practice of these activities at home. This post will focus on talking with your child.

Here are some ways that you can talk with your child to help grow those neural connections:

· Talk about print that is all around you. Point out street signs, store signs, grocery lists, on cereal boxes, on books, or anywhere else in the environment. Help your child notice the print and talk about it together. This will make them more aware of print all around them and help them to see that print has meaning.

· Point out letters on signs or letter shapes in the environment or in books. Name the letters, point out their shapes, and make the letter sounds. The shapes, sounds, and names of letters are all things children need to be able to read.

· Describe to your child what you are doing as you go through your daily routine together. The more conversations you have with your child, the more words they will hear. The more words they hear, the larger vocabulary they’ll have when they go to school and the more words they’ll recognize when they see them in print.

· Talk about everyday things. Name objects that your child sees.

· Use “parentese” – slowed down speech – when talking with your child. It stretches out words and lets children hear the sounds that make up words. Playing simple rhyming games can also help with hearing and learning these sounds.

· Tell stories to your child about your family, favorite memories, and past experiences.

· Ask your child to retell stories that you read to them. This helps them learn the structure of a story. Have them make up stories to tell you.

· Ask questions about the stories you read together – what was their favorite part of the story, etc.

Children learn language by listening to their parents and others talk, and they understand words before they can carry on a conversation with you. Research has shown that there is a direct link between the number of words spoken in the home between birth and age three and a child’s academic performance in third grade. So talk, talk, talk to your child, about anything and everything!

Guest post by Allison C. 

The Importance of Music

Music and singing are some of the early literacy practices that we promote at the library in our storytimes and when talking with parents. Music can be pleasant, catchy, and nearly universal in its appeal; children almost always respond in one way or another when they hear it. Lyrics are usually fairly easy to follow, and repetition is always helpful in reinforcing sounds and words. Music also helps develop rhythm and coordination, while fostering creativity and giving children a context in which to express themselves.

We may never really know what’s going on inside the minds of babies and young children when they hear a lullaby or a lively make-you-want-to-move song, but researchers are finding a biological connection between music and the development of the brain. Specifically, there are signs that listening to music regularly can accelerate the speed and efficiency with which the brain processes sounds, language, and speech, the basic building blocks that form the core of solid reading skills. It appears that there is a special brain function designed to deal just with processing music, and there is some evidence that the auditory pathways of both children and adults who listen to music mature more quickly than those of people who don’t. In fact, there are even some researchers who believe that, without the ability to hear language musically, it would be very difficult to learn to speak.

So do your children (and yourself) a favor. Listen to music whenever you can. Sing and dance to your heart’s content, just for the joy of it. It’s good for your brain!

Guest post by Bridget W. 

What Are Early Literacy Practices?

While you are in the library or at a child care center, you may hear teachers and librarians talking about early literacy practices and skills that will help your child get ready to read in the future. You know that these are important, but what are they? The five early literacy practices are talking, reading, writing, playing, and singing. These activities will help your child learn all of the skills necessary to read. There are six skills that these practices help your child build. These are print motivation, having an interest in books, print awareness, knowing how to read a book and the realization that print is everywhere in our lives, letter knowledge, knowing that letters are different from each other and knowing their shapes, names, and sounds, vocabulary, knowing all kinds of words, phonological awareness, hearing the smaller sounds that make up words, and narrative skills, describing things or events, telling stories, knowing the order of events, and making predictions during a book.

During storytime, we will always give you an early literacy tip so you can have ideas on how to implement these practices and skills at home. We also hold a program called Every Child Ready to Read several times throughout the year to give you more ideas. If you would like to read about these skills on your own, we own several books that will give you even more ideas and activities, including Preparing Children for Reading Success: Hands-On Activities for Librarians, Educators, and Caregivers by Julia Irwin, which is packed full of activities and recommended reading for certain skills. As always, if you’re looking for help, don’t be afraid to ask us! We are always willing to help you find resources.

Guest post by Sarah H.