Literacy in Young Children

In the joint position statement, it's made clear that the single most important way to improve a young child's literacy is reading aloud to them. In order for this activity to improve their literacy, children need to be active participants in the reading as well as comfortable and secure with the choice in book. Great ways to enhance the experience is to ask questions, describe the pictures, predict what's going to happen next, and retell the story. As an early reader I remember my parents reading stories aloud to me and then retelling it back to them. I think that because my parents enjoyed reading aloud to me I was fully prepared to learn how to read in kindergarten.

I really enjoyed reading "Letting Go of 'Letter of the Week.'" I found it interesting to read all of the strategies that the teachers incorporated into the kindergarten classroom. I really loved that on the first day the teacher asked if the students could read and then introduced to them logos such as McDonalds and M&M's. That exercise got the kids excited about reading and raised their confidence.

The article about phonemic awareness explained how important poems, songs, chants, and nursery rhymes are to young children. These types of literature contribute highly to young children's sensitivity to sound structure. In elementary school I remember always singing songs and favoring rhyming books. My favorite were always Dr. Seuss books because they rhymed and were always goofy.

Do you remember your parents or teachers reading aloud to you?

What were your favorite rhyming books to read as a child? As an adult?