When people hear the words early literacy, they often picture sitting down with a stack of books. Reading together is certainly important, but it's only one piece of helping children develop the skills they'll need to become successful readers.
At the library, we encourage families to practice five simple activities every day:
Talk, Sing, Read, Write, and Play.
These five early literacy practices help children build vocabulary, strengthen communication skills, develop print awareness, and discover that learning is fun.
The best part? You don't need special lessons, expensive materials, or even extra time. These activities fit naturally into everyday life.
Talk
Talk with your child throughout the day. Describe what you're doing while making dinner, ask questions during a walk, or chat about what you see while shopping. Every conversation introduces new words and helps children learn how language works.
Sing
Songs and nursery rhymes help children hear the smaller sounds that make up words, an important skill for learning to read. Sing favorite songs in the car, during bath time, or while cleaning up. Don't worry about having a perfect singing voice. Your child will simply love singing with you.
Read
Reading together introduces children to new vocabulary, storytelling, and the joy of books. Read every day, even if it's only for a few minutes. Let your child ask questions, point to pictures, and help tell the story.
Write
Writing begins long before children can form letters or write their name. Children build the hand strength, coordination, and finger control needed for writing through everyday play. Rolling playdough, stacking small blocks, stringing beads, picking up small objects with tongs, fingerplays like Itsy Bitsy Spider, and using child safe scissors all help strengthen the muscles they'll eventually use to hold a pencil. These playful activities make learning fun while preparing little hands for future writing.
Play
Play is one of the most powerful ways children learn. Building with blocks, pretending to run a grocery store, solving puzzles, or exploring outside all encourage creativity, problem solving, and language development. When adults join in the play, children learn even more through conversation and shared experiences.
A Little Support Goes a Long Way
Looking for easy reminders and ideas throughout the year?
Our library offers TALK: Text to Learn for Kindergarten, a free text messaging service for parents and caregivers of children from birth through age 5.
When you sign up, you'll receive:
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Age appropriate early literacy tips based on your child's birthday
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Messages in English or Spanish
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No more than two text messages each month from about upcoming programs designed for your child's age
Signing up is easy. Text TALK to 75547, or visit textandlearn.org to enroll.
If you have more than one child under age 6, you can register a second child so you'll receive tips that match both of their developmental stages.
Whether you're talking during breakfast, singing in the car, reading before bedtime, drawing at the kitchen table, or playing at the park, every moment helps build the foundation for lifelong learning.
The little things you do every day really do make a big difference.
