Literacy Learning in Young Children: Implications for Parents and Educators

Research indicates that children who have many literacy experiences are often early readers. Learning can occur in a natural way when parents serve as models to their child, demonstrating how to learn. Within the context of home and community, young children construct ideas about print through meaningful experiences with print. These experiences include reading books aloud to children, attempting to write, and noticing letters and words in the environment.

To foster print awareness, teachers, parents and caregivers should provide opportunities for children to observe adults writing and to discuss with children what has been written. Children need to see adults and older children writing for real purposes and thinking aloud as they write. Parents and caregivers should give provide paper, notebooks, notepads, pencils, markers, crayons, etc. for children to use and explore. This will encourage children to develop as writers while refining their knowledge of written language. Children's attempts at writing should be accepted unconditionally by parents. The interest and respect that parents and teachers show to a child's writing demonstrates to children the importance of the writing process.

Reading to children gives them the idea of what reading is all about and introduces them to the concepts of print and literacy conventions. Children should have the opportunity to observe and follow along as adults track print from left to right while reading aloud. Parents can point out specific words of interests and find letters like the ones in their children's names. Hearing repeated readings of the same text allows children to begin to notice rhyming words, letter-sound relationships, and increase vocabulary development.

Environmental print captures the attention of young children at a very early age, teachers, parents and caregivers can use this kind of print for educational purposes. Parents can point out labels to children while in the grocery store. They can read road signs, billboards, and signs on windows while traveling in the car. This is a good time to point out letters of the alphabet. Teachers often encourage children to bring logos and other environmental print to the classroom for literacy learning activities.

When children enter school, teachers need to encourage parents to continue to read aloud to their children and to continue to provide new literacy experiences. Teachers can provide parents with suggested reading lists so that parents can look for these titles in the library and bookstore. Make sure the reading lists include a variety of literature including informational texts and books that will stimulate conversations about ideas and concepts.

Children know a lot about literacy before they enter school. It is up to educators and parents to assess what children already know and to build on that knowledge. Teachers should not look at children as "empty vessels that need to be filled."