Early Childhood Literacy and Parents As Partners

Early childhood literacy demands high importance as a topic for the folowing reasons :

Studies show (U.S. Department of Labor Statistics- www.open-your-own-home-business.com)that of almost one million working moms who have their own home business, five hundred thousand have kids below six years of age. I can imagine similar result if we count it globally.

Research consistently demonstrate the fact that the parents and the direct care takers have the most significant impact on a child's language acquisition and reading.

According to the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) “Early years are learning years”.

Early Childhood Literacy and the love of books are critical for a child to succeed in school and later in life. These early years from birth to eight years of age are the most important period in literacy development.

How as parents and advocates of children can we help?

First, we need to understand how Early Childhood Literacy and language acquisition occur in children and then we must provide them with the best tools.

Babies watch when you talk. Gradually they link words with actions and objects. So, talk a lot with the baby. Help her in this process of correlating with your words and actions.

The next stage is when the young child understands that printed words have meaning. They can tell something and give messages. Words do make stories. Letters together can make words and sounds . To help him show him the printed words in his environment and what message they give. The signs on the grocery stores, favorite restaurant or toy store all are such examples.

The direction on the aisles in a store, labels on the food are all wonderful tools to teach. Also writing him notes and letters will give him the valuable information that by reading and writing we can still communicate even when we cannot talk. When you write his name on different things, and she gets a chance to see it over and over , she'll soon recognize it.

Early Childhood Literacy and reading happen both ways-when children use their auditory skills (through phonics) and also by visual discrimination. That means- how does a particular word looks as a whole?

Keeping that in mind we need to give them opportunities for both. Phonics and moveable alphabets to play around with sounds and letters and form words. Also, we need to give them materials where their visual discriminating skills are enhanced.

A child's love of reading and the Early Childhood Literacy is highly dependent on her comprehension and concentration skills. Also, the desire of your cozy companionship where she feels warm and comfortable are all very valuable.

So, please do read on a regular basis -books that you both love and cherish.

Here are some books that involve the child in the reading process.

Classic chain or circular stories

Examples:

50 Below Zero – by Robert Mursch

If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff

Awesome cumulative stories where every time a new event occurs the previous events are repeated. Children love when they can predict and take part;

Examples:

Not Me Said the Monkey – by Colin West

Moira's Birthday- by Robert Munsch

The Ginger Bread Man – by Jean RichardsToday is Monday -by Eric Carle.

Familiar Sequences that uses recognizable themes like the days of the week or months of the year

Examples:

The Grouchy Lady Bug – by Eric Carle

The Very Big Spider

The Very Hungry Caterpiller.

Question And Answer – where the same or similar questions are repeated throughout the story

Examples:

Are You My Mother by – P.D.Eastman

Brown Bear Brown Bear – by Bill Martin

Polar Bear Polar Bear – by Eric Carle

Have You Seen My Cat – by Eric Carle

Repetition of phrases or sentences are there through out

Examples:

A Mouse In My House – by Nancy Van Laan

A Promise Is A Promise – by Robert Munsch

“I Don't Care” - Said the Bear – by Colin West

It Looked Like Spilt Milk by Charles B Shaw

Rhyme and patterns are used throughout:

Examples:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom – by Bill Martin

The Wheels of the Bus – by Maryann Kovalski

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani

The Cat in the Hat - by Dr.Suess

Around four years of age children show awareness of letters and their sounds. They can recognize letters and show interest. Grab this opportunity for it will never be as potent later on. This is known as the window of learning. It is also a classic case of sensitive period for beginning reading. Provide the child with moveable alphabets and flash cards and other tools and show how words and silly sounds can be made putting them together.

Here are some valuable tools"

Here I want to emphasize an important point especially if you are a bilingual and English is not your native tongue. Studies show that it is much better that you expose your child to your first language that you are most comfortable with.

Early Childhood Literacy is meaningful and linked with the ability to articulate thoughts into language. The richness in language is what matters most. That is the most important factor in nurturing this faculty in our children.

Several studies including Linda M. Espinosa's (Professor of Early Childhood Education – Univ.of Missouri Colmbia http://www.edletter.org/insights/home language.shtml) conclude that bilingual children who had the chance to be exposed to another language (from age of three to eight ) performed better ultimately in middle school and high school academic achievement tests in English than the children who grew up in English -only settings.

After Early Childhood Literacy check out the ten most important things you can do in

Parenting Education

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