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The Importance Of Literacy In Early Childhood – What is early childhood literacy? Contrary to what we understand, early literacy is beyond teaching children to read. Rather, it provides young students with the skills to nurture a love of reading and eventually become competent readers. Before learning to read through word recognition and fluency, children must first develop foundational skills that include critical listening, observation, speaking, self-expression, and comprehension. These skills will be essential in helping children make sense of words when they begin to read.
Developing a love of literacy in the early years is a crucial part of your child’s overall development and lays the foundation for lifelong learning. Children who enter school with literacy skills find it easier to read and concentrate during lessons. They tend to understand and communicate ideas better. In addition, research has shown that reading to children, from early childhood, can strengthen reading and vocabulary skills up to four years later. This suggests that exposing children to reading from a very young age can have a lasting effect on their language and literacy development.
The Importance Of Literacy In Early Childhood
Despite the importance of early childhood literacy, literacy rates among children have decreased since the beginning of the pandemic, as reported in a study by the Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization of the United Nations (UNESCO). This is attributed to the closure of schools resulting in learning and academic disruptions. Another study also found that the rates of parents who read to their children has decreased. This could be due to the pandemic stress that parents may be experiencing.
Why Does Early Childhood Education Matter?
Parents play an integral role in shaping a child’s early literacy skills, it’s never too early to start. Regular reading with your child can be challenging, especially amid the adversity of the pandemic. We would like to share some tips that can enhance reading sessions with your child:
The Reading™ (Natural Literacy™) module in the Early Learning and Preschool Curriculum focuses on cultivating a love of reading in your child through a selection of fun and interactive activities. Book a visit to our center to find out more!
Previous How our S.M.I.L.E.S.™ Curriculum supports your child’s early learning after The 3 Minds Revolution – Cultivate a “creative mind” in your child
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site, we will assume that you are happy with it. Ok Privacy Policy Most everyone knows that reading with children is a relaxing way to spend time together and helps children prepare for kindergarten – but do you know how important it is for the brain. development? A study “The Early Catastrophe: The 30 Million Word Gap by Age 3”. showed that children from low-income families could hear as many as 30 million fewer words than their middle-income peers before reaching kindergarten.
How To Develop Early Numeracy Skills
According to the World Health Organization, early childhood is the most important developmental phase throughout life, with lasting impacts that affect the individual and the community. The first 2,000 days of a child’s life is the peak of brain development. When the child is 3 years old, the brain adds 700 new synapses per second! What children are exposed to during the first 5 years is crucial for the formation of those critical brain connections. That’s why the Children’s Council sees the benefit of evidence-based literacy programs for families of children.
Over the past two years, the Children’s Council of Watauga County has implemented the Raising A Reader program with all of the county’s Head Start and NC Pre-K Classrooms. The program focuses on children who regularly share books with their families. Program Coordinator, Hunter Varipapa, provides teachers with training and resources to share with children and their families.
Each class receives a set of red book bags containing four high quality children’s books. The teachers distribute a bag to each child each week to take home to share with their families. Families are empowered with the knowledge and resources they need through training and materials to help develop the foundation for academic success – literacy. Armed with the right knowledge and skills, caregivers become just as excited to see the red book bag come home each week and discover the treasures inside.
Before the program ends, families are connected to one of Watauga County’s public libraries through a blue book scholarship event. All children, families and teachers are invited to these annual events, in which local librarians share all the library resources available to help them continue their love of reading. Each child receives a blue book bag that they keep using each time they visit local libraries to bring home new treasures to share with their families.
Literacy Development In Children
Reach Out and Read is a national program that supports physicians in their efforts to “prescribe” reading to children and families during well-child visits with early literacy guidance. This includes book sharing, free books for children to keep and waiting rooms full of books. The Children’s Council is the partner agency with Blue Ridge Pediatrics. We order and deliver the new books, currently with Smart Start funds. When a family brings their child in for a visit to Blue Ridge Pediatrics, he or she receives a new developmentally appropriate book to look at at each check-up, from 6 months to 5 years, and is offered critical advice on reading and development. of the brain. the pediatrician and the nurse. It is a program that is simple to implement, low cost (only about $20 a year for a child), but offers great returns for everyone involved.
On a national scale, Reach Out and Read serves approximately 4.4 million children annually. The Reach Out and Read program in Watauga began in 2011; in the last year alone, we have given more than 3,400 new books to children in our community. For some children, these serve as the only books they own. Others are simply happy to receive a gift when they go for their check.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a wonderful program that gives families in Watauga County the opportunity to receive an age-appropriate book in the mail each month. This program is free for all ages from birth to 5. It was founded by Dolly Parton and inspired by her desire to give all children access to books to read with their families.
The program started in Nashville and became available to other counties in 2000. The Dolly Parton Foundation now serves more than 750,000 children in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Pdf) Impact Of A Language And Literacy Training And Coaching Intervention On Early Childhood Outcomes In Low Income Communities
In Watauga County, the Imagination Library was originally offered through the Watauga Education Foundation. This program became available through the Children’s Council in December 2015. Since then, it has grown rapidly to serve more than 800 children in the county. A new mother was happy that the program started just in time for her baby. She said, “I love getting free books in the mail every month. I know it’s something my baby will appreciate as she continues to grow!
If you know a child in Watauga County who would like to participate in this free program and have the books delivered to their home, please stop by The Children’s Council or go to www.thechildrenscouncil.org and find the form under the Early Literacy tab. What a great way to build a little library in a child’s home!
For more information on any of these literacy programs or to make a donation, contact The Children’s Council at 828-262-5424 or [email protected].
Since 1977, the Children’s Council (the local Smart Start agency) has been serving our community and acting as a voice for our youngest citizens. We believe that every child deserves the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential in a community that supports, nurtures and empowers children and families. We are committed to taking the lead in building a strong foundation for children’s learning and development by strengthening families, the early childhood system and the wider community. We invest our resources in quality early childhood programs and services for our youngest and most vulnerable children to have the opportunity for healthy development.
Children’s Literature As A Gateway To Reading
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An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address indicated in your account. Literacy development is the process of learning words, sounds,
Early Childhood Education Yields Few Academic Benefits — But Still Has Lifelong Effects
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