When you hear “early literacy” and your little one is nowhere near reading-ready, don’t panic. They’re probably further along than you think. Early literacy consists of the building blocks needed to become a reader, including phonemic awareness, comprehension, vocabulary, and more.
Helping them build up early literacy skills has more to do with your interactions with them during storytime. With a few easy guidelines, these reading moments will become more enjoyable and rewarding than you can imagine, and they don’t cost a thing.
5 tips for engaging toddlers and preschoolers in reading
Read with an expressive tone and point to what you’re referencing. This is the number one tip for keeping young children’s attention during storytime. When grownups (and children!) try out silly voices, complementary sounds (like “Neigh!” for a horse), or read LOUDLY or quietly, you’re activating imagination and creating anticipation for what exciting detail comes next. Pointing to what you’re talking about (for example, you read “STOP!” and point to the stop sign) also helps increase that early vocabulary connection.
Ask questions. What is going to happen next? What are they laughing about? What’s something that makes you laugh?
Make connections between the story and real life situations. Did you just read a book about vegetables? On your next visit to the grocery store, point out the different produce mentioned in the story.
Read throughout the day. Reading at the end of the nighttime routine with a snuggle and a song is a solid ritual and extremely beneficial. However, reading time can be incorporated into any daily routine (for example, it’s a perfect transitional tool from playtime to mealtime).
Read it again…and again. Children learn through repetition. Reading a favorite book over (and over!) again supports a child’s early literacy development. In repeated readings, children recognize new details and begin to make more connections between the words spoken and the printed page.
All of these building blocks have one thing in common—engagement. Kansas State University Professor and Early Literacy Research Scientist Bradford Wiles describes the goal of this engagement best. “[It’s about] getting them to think beyond the words written on the page.”
When we read with and to them, it starts to fall into place.
Add a musical twist.
Storytime is a key element of Kindermusik studio classes and curriculum kits, because when music and movement are thrown into the mix, the science of reading is fully supported.
For more information about experiencing musical storytime, find a live in-person or virtual class, or check out our early childhood learning solutions.