The Importance of Children's early Literacy

Motivating children to read is one of those agony-ecstasy tasks every parent and teacher faces sooner or later.

Science tells us about the importance of children’s early literacy experience.

Research shows that children learn about reading before they enter school. In fact, they learn in the best manner-through observation. Young children, for example, see people around them reading newspapers, books, maps, and signs.

When reading to your preschooler, you should run your index finger under the line of print. This procedure is simple and helps children begin to notice words and that words have meaning. They also gain an awareness of the conventions of reading (e.g., one reads from left to right and from the top of the page to the bottom; sentences are made up of words; and some sentences extend beyond a single line of print).

Here are some of the things you can do with your child to encourage reading habits:

Read to your child. Establish a routine for reading. Whether before bed or at snack time, reading can fit into almost any part of your daily routine.

Read aloud together. It’s never too early to start reading to your little ones. For older kids, take turns reading each page of a favorite book.