As a newborn grows from an infant to a toddler to a school-aged youngster and beyond, literacy and language develop side by side. In a predictable order, this growth occurs through social contacts, most frequently with parents. That relationship is essential for development.
The very first three years are crucial for language development because infants and toddlers have rapidly developing brains. A child who receives an iPad or uses a computer application for learning would miss out on important social contacts. And it’s difficult to make up for it once that chance has passed. The brain cells that would’ve been developed and maintained begin to diminish.
So, you need to ensure your kid gets early literacy. In this article, we will talk about early childhood literacy and its impact on your kid.
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What is Early Literacy in Children?
Teaching young children to read is not the definition of early literacy. Instead, it involves assisting kids in acquiring the abilities necessary to succeed as readers. Early literacy exercises help children develop their vocabulary, self-expression, and comprehension skills. When kids begin reading, these abilities help them understand printed words.
Your child’s total development, which includes literacy development, starts long before they enroll in school. Experiences that teach children to talk, read, and write from an early age advance them toward literacy and help prepare them for success in both school and life.
Children’s early age experts have identified five early literacy strategies that assist children in getting prepared to read. The five early literacy practices are Reading, talking, singing, and playing. You may do these activities with your kid to help them improve their language abilities:
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Importance of Early Childhood Literacy
According to research, a child’s brain develops most rapidly throughout the first three years of life. A child’s brain is double as active as an adult mind by age 3 and equal to that of an adult brain by age 2. Even in a learning-enriched environment, a child’s ability to learn is greatly diminished if they are not stimulated at this crucial time.
For young children to become good readers and lifelong learners, it is important to assist them in building a strong vocabulary, self-expression, and reading comprehension. Thanks to these abilities, a young child can attend kindergarten with a love of literature and an eagerness to study.
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Five strong arguments favoring early literacy
Now you have understood early childhood literacy, let’s talk about strong arguments favoring early literacy.
It Can Make or Break Their Future
The development of early literacy abilities is essential for children’s future reading success. According to the children’s literacy group Reading Partners, students who cannot read proficiently by the fourth grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school.
The transition from learning to read to reading to learn occurs for students in the fourth grade, and those who are not reading at grade level by this point risk falling further and further behind as subjects like science and math become more important throughout the schooling process.
According to the US Department of Education, 85% of all juvenile offenders have reading difficulties, and 60% of people who are imprisoned in our nation are illiterate. Lack of early reading interventions significantly increases the chance of poverty or punishment.
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The Foundation for All Learning Is Literacy
You cannot learn if you cannot read. Children need to be proficient readers before proceeding in topics like math and science. As reading-challenged kids advance through the educational system, they become more irritated when they cannot grasp basic ideas. It makes them feel insecure, disinterested, and further behind their classmates.
The process of developing literacy is dynamic and evolves throughout time. The first three years of a child’s life are crucial for early literacy development, which supports subsequent language acquisition, reading, writing, and general learning.
Reading helps us become more sympathetic
According to research, reading fiction helps us learn “the value of understanding individuals who are dissimilar from ourselves.” Empathy promotes a more peaceful world, and new research indicates that reading fiction may also positively impact social functioning. Children learn about their surroundings and themselves better when they are exposed to rich literacy activities at a young age.
Did you know that studies have indicated that the kinds of books we read may impact how we interact with others and that reading fiction can help us better understand the thoughts and feelings of others? Understanding others allows us to live in a more peaceful atmosphere and to recognize that everyone has unique experiences, ideas, and feelings.
You can actually change things
If you’re reading this, it means that at some point in the past, you had the assistance you required to become a proficient reader. There are a stunning number of kids that need help, but if enough of us chip in, even a little, we can reach a lot of those kids and drastically change the trajectory of their lives by getting involved right away before they fall even further behind. You can ensure that more students have the same opportunities you did when you first began to read by encouraging early literacy.
The economy is significantly impacted
Our society ultimately loses $260,000 due to a student’s failure to complete high school due to lost wages, taxes, and productivity. The benefits of raising the nation’s high school graduation rate would be significant. With an average yearly salary of $23,000 for workers without high school graduation, it is nearly hard to escape the cycle of poverty.
How can you develop early literacy in your kid?
Despite its complexity, early literacy is simple. You can start even before your child is born! Merely by speaking to or soothing your unborn child with music while they are still inside you.
You may practice early literacy in your home by providing your kids as much exposure to the language as you can. Just by conversing with them, you can accomplish this, so they can analyze what you’re doing and narrate your day loudly. conversing with them, humming along to the music, or reciting goofy rhymes or nursery rhymes
You can talk to your infant so they can hear words spoken with emotion and expression. Look for them to copy you when you make amusing noises like animal noises. As they get older, name the items, point them out, and describe what you’re doing, such as making dinner or taking a walk. Describe and demonstrate objects to aid in their exploration of the world.
Board books are designed to be handled by newborns, who may then feel, touch, and investigate them like the rest of the world. Children who sing are better able to hear how sentences can be split into smaller bits. When infants begin reading independently, this ability will aid them in decoding words. Songs can impart new ideas and new terminology.
Children learn the names and sounds of the letters through writing exercises. They can learn that marks represent written language on paper by writing or by scribbling and sketching. When they begin reading, this information will make it easier for them to decode words on screens and pages.
Early on, introduce reading into your child’s bedtime routine and promote it among students. This makes going to bed easier and may develop into a lifelong habit.
Early Literacy Skills – Everything Parents Need to Know video
Early Childhood Literacy – FAQ
What are the top 5 skills needed for childhood literacy?
Early childhood literacy is vital for preparing children for school and life. The top 5 skills needed for early childhood literacy are:
phonemic awareness – the ability to hear and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words;
print awareness – the ability to notice and understand how print works;
letter knowledge – the ability to identify and name letters of the alphabet;
vocabulary – the ability to understand and use words; and
oral language – the ability to communicate effectively in speech.
These skills are important for helping children learn to read and write. By developing these skills from an early age, children will be better prepared to succeed in school and in life.
What are the 6 skills of early literacy?
The six skills of early literacy are
letter knowledge,
phonemic awareness,
print motivation,
print awareness,
vocabulary, and
narrative skills.
All of these skills are important for children to develop in order to become successful readers and writers.
What are the 5 stages of literacy development?
The 5 stages of literacy development are:
Pre-reading
Beginning reading
Developing reading
Fluent reading
Advanced reading
Conclusion
As you can see, developing early literacy abilities is essential for kids’ future language and literacy development, as well as other things. Working on and improving early literacy skills with your child will only benefit them in the long run. It will give them a foundation for future language and literacy development, assist their future learning, and give them methods to learn about and understand the world.
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Early Childhood Literacy
