It’s About Setting The Foundation

Early literacy is not the same as teaching children to read. It’s about getting children ready to learn how to read. In other words, it’s "pre-reading."

Also, it’s really important. Years before stepping into a classroom, children start to develop skills that will help them pick up reading when the time comes. Doing early literacy activities can help preschoolers improve these foundational skills, so that they receive the head start they deserve.

The Eight Key Early Literacy Skills

Phonological Awareness Activities

Phonological Awareness

Teasing apart words in spoken sentences and individual sounds in words. This one has a lot of parts to it. Phonemic awareness, word separation, etc.

Narrative Skills

Understanding, retelling, and creating spoken stories in a correct sequence

Letter Knowledge

Telling the difference between letters and their associated sounds in print and when spoken

Numeracy

Being familiar with numbers and the quantities they represent in print and when spoken

Print Awareness

Being familiar with physical (e.g. front, side) and text-based (e.g. author’s name, title) book parts

Print Motivation

Wanting to engage with books and literacy activities

Vocabulary

Knowing a wide variety of words and their associated meanings. It’s not about having to recognize words that are printed, that’s a reading skill that will be learned later. Instead, it’s just about being able to talk about these words, so that when the time comes to read, the words make sense, and it’s not like they’re learning another language.

Writing Skills

Developing the hand's muscles and fine motor skills in order to control writing utensils