Aspects of literacy in very young children

Photo credit: emilywjones

This is part two of a two part series on literacy in very young children. If you missed it, be sure to see part one here.


There are many aspects of reading that we, as adults, take for granted, but we should not overlook their importance in the learning of young children. Here are a few:



1. Repetition- Children learn by repetition (as do adults, of course). It may seem boring to you to read the same book over and over, but to a child it is comforting. They pick up something new from the book every time. I quite often will sit and read the same book to Doodlebug six or seven times *in a row* before she gets bored with it and goes to pick another book. Don't try to force them to move on. Read the same book repetitiously knowing you are encouraging your child to learn.


2. Rhyme and Rhythm- Children love rhyme and rhythm. We as adults appreciate (or at least recognize) more subtle patterns of words, but very young children need something a little more obvious. A young child can recognize that "cat" and "rat" sound alike, even if they cannot understand why. Books that sound like music are also fun. We often sing our books rather than "read" them.



3. Character- It is important to fully develop the characters in eve the most simplistic children's story. Give the characters voices. Make animal sounds. Talk animatedly. This draws very young children into the story (Oh! Mommy's excited! Maybe I should be too!), and helps to distinguish one picture from another as characters.



4. Illustrations- Give young children time to look at the pictures. For older children who are actively learning to read, it is okay for them to guess what the words say by looking at the pictures. This teaches children to use context clues, an important skill they will need later in life.

Five Ways to Give Children a love for reading

 Photo credit: emilywjones

I believe that reading to very young children is of the utmost importance, but most articles I have read have focused on teaching an older child to read. I want to focus on the importance of reading in VERY young children (as in babies and toddlers). This will be the beginning of a two-part series on Literacy for very young children.


1. Read to them. A lot. Read children's books. Read adult's books. Read fiction. Read non-fiction. Read magazines. Read newspapers. Read cereal boxes. Just read. Out loud and often.


2. Give children access to a variety of materials. Doodlebug is only 18 months old, but she has constant access to children's books and supervised access to other materials. If I am reading a magazine and she wants to look at it, I let her. I let her hold it, point at pictures, and turn pages until she starts tearing it up. Then it gets put away until later and she can look at a board book, instead.


3. Listen to books on CD. They are still absorbing the words, enjoying the story, and building vocabulary by listening.


4. Let your kids see you reading. Not just on the computer (speaking to myself here). My brother and I always saw my mom reading, and we wanted to do it, too.


5. Go to the library. It was one of my favorite places as a child. We would explore the different sections and find new literary loves. My mom always had us pick a classic off the shelf before any others.

How do you encourage love of reading in your kids?