Strengthening literacy skills in children from a young age is a great way to help them develop. As adults, we often take for granted how simple it is to read a paper or speak to one another, which is something that a child is still trying to grasp.
We have a duty to the children of our society to help them in any way we can when it comes to strengthening their literacy skills. Below we look at ways you can help develop a child’s literacy skills.
Read Together
Reading is perhaps one of the best ways to improve literacy skills, as it helps with learning spelling, words, and understanding story and conversation. The importance of literacy skills is unmatched when it comes to written exams and getting into the best colleges, and reading is a great place to start.
Take time to read together, reading out loud, and when the child is ready, ask them to read the book to you. Ask questions about the book, point out difficult spellings, and read a variety of different books, including fiction and non-fiction.
Talk to Them
Even from birth, children can benefit from being spoken to, even if they can’t respond yet. Talking to children from a young age and engaging them in conversation is a great way to strengthen their literacy skills and get their minds working.
As they get older, ask questions about themselves and their day, make up stories together, and tell jokes.All of this will help them in developing strong language skills and set them up for a better education.
Encourage Creativity
One of the easiest ways for children to express themselves and understand the world around them is through a creative lens. When looking after children, have a space for them to be creative, whether this is drawing, painting, coloring, or cutting and sticking. During these activities, you’ll notice they may start to write down words or draw real-life objects, especially people.
Whenever they draw something, ask them to describe it and sign their name at the bottom too. This develops their knowledge and understanding of their environment and can actually have a positive effect on their literacy skills too. Plus, the earlier they learn how to hold a pencil, the easier they’ll find it to write in school.
Play Word Games
Children love anything fun, so make words and learning fun through the use of games. Road trips are a great setting to encourage word games in the car, such as rhyming games or categories.
For example, start with the first letter of the alphabet and choose a category, such as animals. See who can come up with an animal the fastest and who gets the most points by the end of the game. There are endless spoken word games to choose from to make learning fun!
By reading together, talking, encouraging creativity, and playing word games, you can help children to strengthen their literacy skills even before school starts. Literacy skills are essential for children to be better readers and writers both in school and in future job roles.
