Learning to read is a major milestone in your child’s life. Building early literacy and language skills early in life make learning to read easier and more enjoyable for your child later on. At Early Childhood Academy, we work on these skills daily to prepare your child for a lifetime of reading.
Build a Large Vocabulary
Vocabulary is a major predictor of reading success in children. The more words your child knows, the greater their ability to comprehend text. Building early literacy and a large vocabulary starts young. A study of 18-month-olds found that children who are surrounded by adults who speak with them have a vocabulary that is 185 words larger than their peers who have not been exposed to verbal interactions.
From birth to age 5, children acquire new words at a faster rate than at any time of their lives. Kindergarteners have mastered three-fifths of all the vocabulary they will ever acquire. This means your child’s time with us is a precious opportunity to build a large vocabulary that prepares them for reading success throughout their lives.
Every activity at the Academy is an opportunity to build your child’s vocabulary. On any given day, we may discuss the sizes, colors, and shapes of objects your child is playing with, or of objects in the room. We may point out the position of objects using location words (on, off, in, out, behind, on top of, over, under, etc.). This gives your child the language to describe the world around them.
Teach Book Etiquette
Did you know how to handle a book is an early literacy skill? At the Academy, we include book etiquette as part of our early literacy and language curriculum. We teach children how to hold a book right-side-up and start reading at the front of the book. We show them how to turn pages one at a time and treat books with care. We also help your child understand that books live in a special place, and that we need to put them back when we are finished reading.
Practice Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking is your child’s ability to evaluate a situation. This may be a real-world situation or something they encounter as they read or learn. Critical thinking questions encourage higher-order thinking that builds your child’s ability to think abstractly, make connections between two concepts, and solve problems. Higher-order thinking is what helps your child be a creative, evaluative, and innovative learner throughout their lives.
Developing higher-order thinking skills starts in early literacy. Here are some of the questions we ask our young readers during and after story times:
- What do you see in the pictures?
- Why do you think that character is acting that way?
- What will happen next?
- What was your favorite part?
- Which character would you want to be?
- How would you change the ending?
Encourage Reading at Home
Finally, our teachers understand that developing your child’s early literacy and language skills is a joint effort. We encourage you to spend at least 20 minutes every day reading with your children. Reading at home is an enjoyable way to connect with your child, expand their knowledge of the world, and help them process strong emotions.
Here’s how you can build early literacy and language skills at home with your kiddos:
- Choose stories or topics that interest your child.
- Find books with words that will expand their spoken language.
- Include informational books, such as books on animals, nature, trucks, space, etc.
- Ask your child to identify the letters they know and teach them the sounds those letters make.
- Use your finger to track the words as you read.
- Ask your child the critical thinking questions we use at the Academy.
At Early Childhood Academy, our teachers are committed to building your child’s early literacy and language skills throughout their time with us, from infancy to preschool. To learn more about our literacy curriculum or to schedule a tour of one of our locations, get in touch with us today.
In Conclusion
We are committed to providing high quality early childhood education to the community. We believe that all children deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential, and we are dedicated to providing them with the tools and support they need to succeed.
If you are looking for a high-quality early childhood education program for your child, we encourage you to contact us today. We would be happy to answer any questions you may have and schedule a tour of our academy.
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