The Six Skills
Early literacy is everything a child knows about reading and writing before he or she can read or write.
Six basic skills comprise early literacy and help determine whether a child will be ready to learn to read and write:
Six basic skills comprise early literacy and help determine whether a child will be ready to learn to read and write:
- I Love Books!
- Words, Words Everywhere!
- What's this, what's that?
- Easy as ABC
- What's the story?
- Sounds LIke Fun!
Get Motivated!
Print Motivation: An interest in and enjoyment of books.
Why Is It Important?
Kids who enjoy books and reading will be curious about reading and motivated to learn to read for themselves. Motivation is important because learning to read is HARD WORK. It's important that we make sure our children start reading and listening to books from day one, and that they have a good time with books.
What Can You Do to Help Build this Skill?
• Have fun!
• Read books you both like.
• Stop (or shift gears) when it is no longer fun. Length of time is not important; enjoyment is!
Print Motivation: An interest in and enjoyment of books.
Why Is It Important?
Kids who enjoy books and reading will be curious about reading and motivated to learn to read for themselves. Motivation is important because learning to read is HARD WORK. It's important that we make sure our children start reading and listening to books from day one, and that they have a good time with books.
What Can You Do to Help Build this Skill?
• Have fun!
• Read books you both like.
• Stop (or shift gears) when it is no longer fun. Length of time is not important; enjoyment is!
Print Awareness: Understanding that written words relate to spoken words; awareness of how to hold and read a book.
Why Is It Important?
Children have to be aware of words before they can read them. They need to know how books work--the front cover, what's upside down, which page to start on, how to look from left to right. When kids are comfortable with books, from knowing how to open a book to understanding what those black squiggles are, they can concentrate on starting to read the words.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Read board books that your child can handle on his/her own; let him/her turn the pages as you read together.
• Sometimes point to the words as you read.
• Talk about print even when you are not reading together. Look for letters and words on signs, labels, and lists.
Why Is It Important?
Children have to be aware of words before they can read them. They need to know how books work--the front cover, what's upside down, which page to start on, how to look from left to right. When kids are comfortable with books, from knowing how to open a book to understanding what those black squiggles are, they can concentrate on starting to read the words.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Read board books that your child can handle on his/her own; let him/her turn the pages as you read together.
• Sometimes point to the words as you read.
• Talk about print even when you are not reading together. Look for letters and words on signs, labels, and lists.
Vocabulary: Knowing the meaning of words, including words for things, feelings, concepts, and ideas.
Why Is It Important?
The more words children know, the easier it is for them to learn how to read. It's much easier to read a word when it's a word you already know. Children with bigger vocabularies have an easier time when they start to read, since it's much easier for them to make sense of what they're sounding out.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Encourage children to learn their native or home language first; this makes learning another language (speaking and reading) easier later.
• Talk with children in positive and conversational ways; commands and “no’s” do not encourage language development.
• Carry on lots of conversations with children.
• Explain the meanings of new words.
• Read books! Picture books use a different vocabulary than casual spoken conversation.
• Name objects, feelings, and events.
Why Is It Important?
The more words children know, the easier it is for them to learn how to read. It's much easier to read a word when it's a word you already know. Children with bigger vocabularies have an easier time when they start to read, since it's much easier for them to make sense of what they're sounding out.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Encourage children to learn their native or home language first; this makes learning another language (speaking and reading) easier later.
• Talk with children in positive and conversational ways; commands and “no’s” do not encourage language development.
• Carry on lots of conversations with children.
• Explain the meanings of new words.
• Read books! Picture books use a different vocabulary than casual spoken conversation.
• Name objects, feelings, and events.
Letter Knowledge: Knowing that letters are different from each other, that the same letter can look different, and that each letter has a different name and sounds.
Why Is It Important?
To read words, children have to understand that a word is made up of individual letters.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Look at and talk about different shapes (letters are based on shapes).
• Play “same and different” type games.
• Look at “I Spy” type books.
• Notice different types of letters (“a” or “A”) on signs and in books.
• Read ABC books.
• Talk about and draw the letters of a child's own name.
Why Is It Important?
To read words, children have to understand that a word is made up of individual letters.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Look at and talk about different shapes (letters are based on shapes).
• Play “same and different” type games.
• Look at “I Spy” type books.
• Notice different types of letters (“a” or “A”) on signs and in books.
• Read ABC books.
• Talk about and draw the letters of a child's own name.
Narrative Skills: Being able to describe things and events, telling stories, knowing the order of events, and making predictions.
Why is it important?
When children can describe something or retell stories, it shows that they are comprehending what they are reading. Understanding what they're reading is crucial to helping them stay motivated to keep reading.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Ask open-ended questions that encourage conversations rather than yes/no or right/wrong answers.
• Talk about your day and its series of events.
• Guess what comes next—or come up with a different ending.
• Read stories without words; they really help focus on this skill.
Why is it important?
When children can describe something or retell stories, it shows that they are comprehending what they are reading. Understanding what they're reading is crucial to helping them stay motivated to keep reading.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Ask open-ended questions that encourage conversations rather than yes/no or right/wrong answers.
• Talk about your day and its series of events.
• Guess what comes next—or come up with a different ending.
• Read stories without words; they really help focus on this skill.
Phonological Awareness: The ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
Why Is It Important?
Children who can hear how words "come apart" into separate sounds will be more successful at "sounding out" words when they start to read.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Sing songs; most break words up into one syllable per note. Reading works with syllables also.
• Recite rhymes; rhymes depend upon ending sounds.
• Play with tongue twisters.
• Pick a sound for the day. Notice it at the beginning of words and at the end of words.
Why Is It Important?
Children who can hear how words "come apart" into separate sounds will be more successful at "sounding out" words when they start to read.
What Can You Do to Help Build This Skill?
• Sing songs; most break words up into one syllable per note. Reading works with syllables also.
• Recite rhymes; rhymes depend upon ending sounds.
• Play with tongue twisters.
• Pick a sound for the day. Notice it at the beginning of words and at the end of words.