During the first three years of their lives, children begin language and literacy development, and their exposure to books and stories is especially important. These experiences, combined with their interactions with adults, help influence their success when it comes to language, reading and writing development. Accordingly, it is important to take an interactive and experiential approach to these subjects.
However, early literacy does not equate to early reading, or promoting this approach in educational facilities. In fact, it is not appropriate to try to teach very young children, including infants and toddlers, actual reading and writing skills. It can discourage children who struggle with grasping these skills at such a young age from reading and writing in the future. Instead, the process should take a more organic, dynamic and gradual approach.
The curriculum during the first three years should make use of books, singing nursery rhymes, listening to stories, learning words and even scribbling. These activities help children master the building blocks required for more advanced language and literacy development.
We have compiled a list of qualities that books should have, depending on the age of their audience:
Infants (0-6 months)
Infants (6-12 months)
Young Toddlers (12-24 months)
Toddlers (2-3 years)
Though it may seem difficult, integrating literacy and language development exercises into your classroom can be simple. Dedicating a few minutes everyday to reading aloud is very beneficial to young children. Children often are only able to sit still for a few minutes, but as they grow older, their attention span improves. In addition, always make sure to do the following:
For further information about implementing these activities into your classroom, you can refer to ProSolutions Training's, "Learning Language: Ages Three to Five." Through this package, you will learn the key concepts behind how children acquire language, and how you can teach phonemic awareness skills to assist in literacy development. We also offer CDA training and CDA renewal.