Raising Literacy Levels
WHY IS EARLY LITERACY IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES?
Reading aloud to babies and young children is the single most important thing we can do to help prepare them for reading and learning. That’s because emergent literacy is the foundation on which all future learning happens. The stronger a child’s literacy foundation, the stronger all future learning will be.
Every time we read, talk, and sing with babies, we are creating strong bonds and building their foundation for learning and understanding. These connections have a positive impact on children for the rest of their lives!
Reading aloud to children helps associate books and reading with people they love, which motivates them to read more.
WHAT WE KNOW:
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Reading aloud to children, starting at birth, helps build brain connections during the first 5 years of their life. This is the time in which 90% of a child’s brain development happens. The number of words a child knows when they start school is a predictor of their future success in school and in life. Reading, talking, singing, and playing with young children helps to improve their language, literacy, social skills, and emotional skills. It also helps to secure the bond between parent/caregiver and child.
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A person’s ability to read lowers their risk of poverty, improves their chances of employment, increases social inclusion, and leads to a healthier life.
WHAT CHILDREN LEARN: WITH KINDLE CORNER
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Vocabulary building
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Learning how our language works and how to use language to tell stories, share ideas and ask questions
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Learning to write by drawing and scribbling
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Playing with the sounds of language through songs, rhymes and tongue twisters
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Building knowledge of the world around them
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Understanding letter-sound connections
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Developing a love of literacy (reading and writing)