This post is sponsored by the Johnson County Library 6 by 6 Ready to Read program.
Early literacy skills help children learn “pre-literacy” — the skills they’ll use later when they begin learning how to read. Before they can learn to read, they’ll need to be able to recognize shapes, hear the smaller sounds in words that let us do things like rhyme, and of course, learn that books and stories are fun, so they’ll want to read.
The Johnson County Library’s Ready to Read program, now in its 15th year, has identified six skills children should have experience with by their sixth birthday to help prepare them to read and be ready for learning.
Print Motivation
Have fun with books! Share the joy of reading with your children. Choose books that you and your child will enjoy together. Let them see you reading for pleasure. If children have a positive experience with books at an early age, they will grow up wanting to be readers as well.
Alphabet Knowledge
Look for letters everywhere. Shapes are the building blocks of letters. Look for shapes everywhere in your environment. Once your child knows some letters of the alphabet, make looking for letters fun by playing matching or sorting games.
Print Awareness
Notice print all around you. While you’re out and about at the grocery store, park, taking a walk, or looking at books at home, identify words and letters with your children. Give children hands on experience with holding books and turning the pages.
Take Time to Rhyme
Take time to sing and rhyme. Before children can read, they need to be able to hear the smallest sounds in words. Singing songs and playing word games is a great way to practice this skill, since most songs use a different note for each syllable. Singing songs helps teach children how to take words apart and put them back together. Older children enjoy playing word games and reciting tongue twisters. Younger children can benefit just from hearing the rhythm and flow of your voice as you read and rhyme.
Vocabulary
Talk to your children! Hearing lots of words is linked to vocabulary development. Children who are read to often have greater vocabulary and better reading comprehension skills when they enter kindergarten. Studies have shown that success in elementary school can be linked to the number of words the child hears by their third birthday.
Narrative Skills
Tell stories about everything. Starting right at birth, children are busy learning about language. Ask your child questions about their surroundings or what you are reading in a book together. Narrate things you’re doing together, showing them that everything has a beginning, middle and end.
Johnson County Library’s Ready to Read Program makes it easy for parents to help their children with these six skills. 6 by 6 Books to Go kits are available for you to check out and make it easy and convenient for you to bring the library into your home! Each themed kit contains an assortment of books, audios, DVDs, and/or a list of activities to help foster a love of reading and work on early literacy skill development. More than 50 kid-friendly topics like animals, seasons, feelings, siblings, potty training and more are available. You can see all the bags available here and even place a hold.