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Helping the children in your life to be ready for starting school is one of the best ways to prepare them
for a lifetime of success. Research shows that children who are unprepared for the entrance to
kindergarten are more likely to fall behind in school, experience school failure, and they are more likely
to drop out of school. Those children who are not prepared for the transition into school have found it
difficult to stay on track and meet the expectations of each grade level. One of the major ways to
determine school readiness is to assess a child’s literacy skills. Families are the most important teachers in a child’s life. When children have the support at home to build early literacy skills, they begin school with the tools to get the most out of learning. These skills are reading, writing and using and understanding oral language. Besides these academic skills, a child also needs to value and have a positive attitude towards learning, be physically healthy, and have developed socially and emotionally. With the increase abundance of technology and electronics in the household, we forget that one of the easiest ways to build those skills that will make a child succeed in school is to just pick up a book and read. It does not have to be only the parents that support children’s learning. Other adults and even older children can be the ones to read with them. As more parents are needing to work, many children are with other family members and those members can be the ones to support and share the value of learning. Here are some ways families can support and build a child’s literacy skills. - Read books together – It helps to ask questions, give additional information and explanations beyond what is in the book. Share personal reactions, and relate concepts to the child’s own life. - Go to the library – Most of our county libraries have story time and children’s librarians who can help you pick out books to share with your children. These books are free and can broaden your child’s exposure to more books. - Read in the Community – Try labels in the grocery store or signs in stores or on the road. You can use these to help children pick out words and recognize the alphabet. - Talk with your children – Having conversations with children at an early age and using a variety of words and concepts exposes them to oral language and builds their vocabulary. Reading is not the only component of literacy. It also includes understanding language and using it. Try having a daily “Share Your Day” time at the dinner table. This can get you in the habit of sharing what is happening in your life and giving your child a time to share what is happening in their life. Later on when they are older, it will be easier to keep informed on what they are doing if you already have a set time for this. - Encourage questions – Ask your child questions and support their curiosity in order to encourage creativity and a value for learning. - Offer choices – This helps create language, encourages independent thinking and develops decision making skills. - Model desired behaviors and attitudes – A child’s attitude towards learning and his/her value of education is greatly influenced by the attitudes and values displayed by their family. (Image provided by Wikipedia.)
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