Supporting Literacy at Home: Knowledge, Tips and Tools

Literacy is a vital skill that sets the stage for a child's education and future success. Supporting literacy from birth can have an incredible impact on the brain including social and emotional development. Let’s explore the importance of fostering early literacy in young children and identify strategies that anyone can implement at home. 

Why Early Literacy Matters 

Literacy involves more than the just the ability to read and write; it also encompasses understanding and using language to communicate. Early literacy skills are skills that young children develop before they start learning to read and write. Strong early literacy skills are connected to academic attainment, increased job opportunities and an overall better quality of life. Early experiences and early literacy make a profound impact on our little learners that will reap dividends for years to come. Learn more about why early literacy skills are crucial for children from Kids First., opens a new window 

Supporting Literacy at Home 

Supporting early literacy does not (and should not) require expensive materials, nor does it happen through a one-size-fits-all method. Literacy development has been studied for years and tools and strategies have evolved as we continue to understand it. Dr. Rebecca Diaz, a local Colorado mom and recent PhD graduate, highlights how family literacy has transformed as today’s caregivers engage children in early literacy practices that seamlessly float between the traditional and the modern. Learn more about family literacy with her article Beyond Books: Reimagining Family Literacy for Today’s Learners, opens a new window.  

Try these simple activities at home with your child to support their literacy journey:

Read Aloud Daily 

Select picture books with topics that are interesting to your child such as cars, dinosaurs, children their own age, etc., and make reading a daily routine! Read with expression and emotion, using gestures to bring stories to life and making the experience engaging and fun for little learners. Encourage young children to ask questions and talk about the story together. Books, oral storytelling and communication help get children ready to learn to read and write when they start attending school. 

Learn about the many benefits of reading to children from Child Mind Institute, opens a new window. 

Create a Print-Rich Environment 

Print awareness is understanding that print, words and symbols have meaning and can be found all around us. Keep reading materials such as books, magazines, newspapers and labels close at hand. You can display written language around the home, including names of everyday items, and encourage children to interact and identify these materials. Need a change of environment, why not stop by your local library? 

Find more strategies to support your child’s literacy at home with the National Center on Improving Literacy., opens a new window 

Engage in Storytelling 

Storytelling is a powerful tool that supports early literacy. Sharing personal stories, folktales and imaginative narratives with children boosts their background knowledge and understanding of the world they live in. Encourage young children to create their own stories, act them out and let them guide where the story goes. The act of engaging in back-and-forth conversation with children, sometimes referred to as Serve and Return, opens a new window, helps develop communication skills and increases the quantity of words a child hears, practices, and understands. 

Sing Songs and Rhymes 

Songs and rhymes are excellent for developing phonological awareness, the ability to distinguish the many sounds of language. Singing familiar songs and reciting nursery rhymes help children recognize sounds, patterns and rhythms in language. StoryBlocks, opens a new window can offer numerous examples of songs and rhymes that young children will enjoy, including in multiple languages! 

Encourage Writing and Drawing 

Provide opportunities for drawing, scribbling and writing with paper, crayons, markers and other tools. Encourage children to create their own stories and draw pictures for family and friends. Writing and drawing allow young children to think creatively and express themselves while also supporting their fine motor development.

Dive into the promotion of emergent writing with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)., opens a new window 

Use Everyday Moments 

Daily activities and routines can be beneficial for a child’s development, and they are profound opportunities for early literacy development. Read recipes while cooking. Write shopping lists together. Talk about street signs and community art while on a walk through the neighborhood. These moments integrate literacy and learning into each experience. 

Family Literacy Observation Tool 

Making small, intentional changes at home can have a lasting impact on literacy development. Try using the Family Observation Tool, opens a new window found in this companion article from Dr. Diaz. This observation tool is geared towards parents and helps to see literacy in different ways including reflecting on our own unique family literacy. 

As we prioritize early literacy, we empower our children to achieve reading and academic success and thrive in a continuously changing world. 

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