What can I do to enhance my child’s language literacy before entering kindergarten?
[mme_highlight] The ability of a child to use adequately language is a major determinant of her/his future academic achievement and impacts greatly social and economic characteristics of families and communities. The developmental skills for reading and writing are strengthened during the preschool years, which makes these crucial times for children development. [mme_highlight]
The ability of a child to use adequately language is a major determinant of her/his future academic achievement and impacts greatly social and economic characteristics of families and communities. Children learn oral language by listening and talking to adults around them, that is why they should be included and encouraged to take part in conversations since very young age. In fact, the optimal timing to improve language literacy is during preschool and early primary school years.
Why are language and literacy so important?
The International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) issued a joint position statement where it is stated that “One of the best predictors of whether a child will function competently in school and go on to contribute actively in our increasingly literate society is the level to which the child progresses in reading and writing”.
It is now consensual that the developmental skills for reading and writing are strengthened during the preschool years, which makes these crucial times for children development.
What can parents do to improve their child’s language skills?
Reading aloud to your child on a frequent basis is the mainstay to promote early literacy development in children however it is has been estimated that only 58% of children aged 3 to 5 year are read to daily by a family member (Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 2004).
Here are some useful tips to help your child build language:
- Read aloud to your child as much as you can, if possible, on a daily basis. Ask your child to turn the pages.
- Encourage your child to be active participants rather than passive listeners when you are sharing the reading of a book.
- Arrange the bedroom and living room environment so that children have an opportunity to interact with books and other print materials.
- Help your children get familiar with letters of the alphabet and their corresponding sounds.
- Use position words when talking to your child (e.g., Put the box on the lower shelf.
- Use rhyming words and sentences; use sentences with alliteration (similar sounds).
- Learn the nursery rhymes and practice them at home.
- Ask your child to re-tell you the story you have read to her/him.
- Encourage your child to assemble the pieces of a puzzle.
- Ask your child to find shapes in a picture.
The language and literacy promotion scale proposed by Green SD et al. is composed of 23 items and can serve both as a survey method and a set of useful tips to promote these skills. Results from the survey which included the answers of 180 educators using the items of the scale are shown below.
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Results from a survey with educators using a 23 items Language and Literacy Promotion Scale
| “Often or Always” | “Sometimes" | “Seldom or Never” | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read aloud to children in a group setting | 78.3% | 16.7% | 5.0% |
| Read aloud to children individually | 50.0% | 30.6% | 19.4% |
| Set aside special time each day to read to children | 75.0% | 19.4% | 5.6% |
| Read aloud a variety of books | 85.6% | 9.4% | 5.0% |
| Re-read favorite books | 82.8% | 12.8% | 4.4% |
| Talk about books read together | 68.9% | 20.6% | 10.6% |
| Ask children questions about the books | 74.4% | 17.8% | 7.8% |
| Provide opportunities for children to look at books and other printed materials on own | 82.2% | 13.3% | 4.4% |
| Teach children features of a book | 58.3% | 21.1% | 20.6% |
| Teach children that printed letters and words run from left to right and from top to bottom | 63.3% | 19.4% | 17.2% |
| Practice saying alphabet with the children | 93.3% | 5.0% | 1.7% |
| Teach children to recognize letters of alphabet | 90.0% | 7.8% | 2.2% |
| Teach children to distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters | 69.4% | 20.6% | 10.0% |
| Help children learn the sounds each letter can represent | 78.9% | 12.2% | 8.9% |
| Teach children to write letters of alphabet | 71.7% | 17.2% | 11.1% |
| Help children to write their names | 74.4% | 16.1% | 9.4% |
| Help children identify different colors, shapes, and sizes | 88.3% | 8.3% | 3.3% |
| Help children learn opposites | 81.1% | 16.1% | 2.8% |
| Help children recognize numbers | 87.2% | 8.9% | 3.9% |
| Practice counting with the children | 88.9% | 9.4% | 1.7% |
| Choose books to read aloud that focus on sounds, rhyming, and alliteration | 77.2% | 16.7% | 6.1% |
| Have children sing or say a familiar nursery rhyme or song | 85.6% | 12.8% | 1.7% |
| Encourage children to make up new verses of familiar songs or rhymes by changing beginning sounds or words | 63.9% | 20.6% | 15.6% |
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The same study found that some variables significantly influence early childhood promotion of language and literacy by educators, namely, the availability of books and other print materials adequate for children and the number of children cared for by the educator. The table below shows these correlations.
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Variables significantly correlated to promotion of language literacy
- Correlation between availability of print materials and promotion of language literacy: β = 0.52; p < 0.001 (statistically significant)
- Correlation between the number of children cared for by each educator and promotion of language literacy: β = 0.17; p < 0.01 (statistically significant)
- Correlation between perceived adequacy of training received by educators and promotion of language literacy: β = 0.36; p < 0.001 (statistically significant)
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Summary and Recommendations
- The ability of a child to use adequately language is a major determinant of her/his future academic achievement and throughout life.
- The optimal timing to improve language literacy is during preschool and early primary school years.
- Parents and educators play a major role in promoting language literacy skills.
- Reading aloud to children on a frequent basis is one of the most consistent ways to promote early literacy development in children. Children should be included in conversations and encouraged to participate actively since very young age.
- If you think your child is not developing language and literacy skills as expected or has lose skills previously acquired, consult a doctor.
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References
- Green SD, Peterson R, Lewis JR. Language and Literacy Promotion in Early Childhood Settings: a survey of center-based practices. Early Childhood Research and Practice. 2006. Vol. 8, N. 1.
- Landry SH. Effective Early Childhood Programs. Children’s Learning Institute. University of Texas.
- Committee of the Prevention of Reading Difficulties in Young Children, Commission on Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council. Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, 4 ed. Snow, C. E., Burns, M. S.; and Griffin, P. Washington DC: National Academy Press, 1998.
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