Early Literacy can seem daunting, like it is reserved for English teachers. However, babies start learning from the day they are born, and there are many ways we can help them.

According to a 2007 study by Harvard University, children's brains develop quickly in their first few years of life, building up to one million neural connections every second! It is a very important time for children to build early literacy skills. 

Early Literacy skills are the skills children learn to help them understand and use words, long before they know how to read. Babies and toddlers build these skills by hearing language, listening to stories, looking at books, and talking. Early literacy skills include alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness (recognizing and manipulating sounds), oral language, and print knowledge. 

According to the World Literacy Foundation, children with poor literacy foundations when beginning traditional schooling are more likely to struggle academically and later drop out of school. 

Recognizing how important these early skills are, what are some of the things we can do to help children develop strong early literacy skills? Below is a list of activities and resources which you can use to help children strengthen their early literacy skills.

At-Home Activities:

• Read books that expose children to varied vocabulary

• Sing songs and practice fun rhymes that expose children to repetitive sounds at the beginnings and ends of words
• Talk with children to practice language skills by showing children how to ask questions and make comparisons
• Repetition! Research has shown that reading the same books and singing the same songs over and over again helps children learn better than reading or singing something once or twice.

Help children understand print text and writing by having them tell you what they want you to write down

Explore Early Intervention, a program for children 0-3 who have developmental delays or are at risk of developmental delays. This program does not need a doctor's referral, and there are no out of pocket costs to families. Every child 0-3 is entitled to a free yearly evaluation to see if they qualify for the program. You can find a program here.

Library Activities:

• Check out new books - there are great suggestions listed below
• Go to storytimes- check out our website for our many great storytime programs

• Practice your sounds at Worcester Public Library's Early Readers Class
• Use Libby or Overdrive to find fun audiobooks and ebooks

Parenting Books about Early Literacy:

Reading Picture Books with Children by Megan Dowd Lambert

This book helps us see picture books in a new way, introducing new ways we can read and talk about books with kids. 

Playful Activities for Reading Readiness: Laying a Foundation for Literacy by Latisha Hayes PhD

This book offers some research-based, playful activities that help your kids learn and grow.

Books for Kids' Early Literacy

Reading a variety of books is super important for early literacy because they expose children to new vocabulary and concepts! Come to the library and check out any book that catches your eye! Below is a list of books that focus on alphabet knowledge, decoding (letter sound relationships) and sound recognition like rhyming and alliteration.

Be A Maker by Katey Howes

This is an empowering and inspiring book that uses varied vocabulary and rhyming, which allows kids to understand syllables and word construction.

Bears at the Beach by Shirley Parenteau

Five bears are building sandcastles. This rhyming book shows great problem solving skills while using fun and rhyming vocabulary.