It’s the most wonderful time of the year – a time when people often focus on kindness, love, and generosity- and the perfect time to think about the connection between literacy and social emotional learning. While the role early literacy activities play in fostering cognitive skills, such as language development and literacy proficiency is well known, recent research has revealed the significant impact these activities have on young children’s social-emotional development as well. The early years are critical because not only do they predict future academic success, but also lay the foundation for future emotional regulation, social interaction, and self-awareness. Social-emotional skills encompass the ability to recognize and manage emotions, form healthy relationships, and navigate social environments. Early literacy activities, such as shared reading, storytelling, and exposure to books and songs, offer opportunities to enhance these skills. Let’s explore how early literacy activities can foster empathy, emotional regulation, communication, and the development of a positive sense of self.
1. Building Empathy and Emotional Awareness
One of the most significant social-emotional benefits of early literacy is the development of empathy. When children engage with stories, whether through reading or listening, they are introduced to characters who experience a range of emotions. This exposure helps children understand that others have feelings that may differ from their own, a foundational element of empathy. Research by Zinsser et al. (2020) highlighted that children who are regularly exposed to narrative books demonstrate an increased ability to identify and label emotions, an important aspect of emotional intelligence.
In particular, picture books that depict characters in diverse emotional scenarios can foster understanding and encourage children to discuss their own feelings. For example, books about a character feeling sad, happy, or scared can prompt young children to reflect on similar emotions they have experienced, helping them identify emotions in themselves and others.
2. Enhancing Emotional Regulation
Emotional regulation, or the ability to manage one’s emotional responses in various situations, is another critical social-emotional skill that early literacy activities promote. Research by Bayot et al. (2023) found that reading books with a clear narrative structure helps children understand cause-and-effect relationships, which in turn supports the development of emotional regulation. When children hear about a character navigating emotional challenges—such as dealing with frustration or disappointment—they begin to develop strategies for managing their own emotions in similar situations.
Additionally, interactive reading practices, where caregivers ask questions about the story or encourage children to predict what will happen next, can help children practice patience, turn-taking, and managing frustration when their expectations are not immediately met.
3. Fostering Social Skills through Communication
The act of reading together is inherently social. It encourages verbal interactions, which are crucial for language development and social competence. According to a study by Morrison et al. (2021), engaging in shared book reading provides a context in which young children can practice verbal communication, nonverbal cues (like pointing and showing), and social referencing (looking to an adult’s facial expression; tone; and actions to understand and guide behavior)—skills essential for successful social interaction.
By discussing the book’s content with caregivers or peers, children learn how to express their ideas, ask questions, and respond appropriately in conversations. These interactions help children feel heard and valued, boosting their self-esteem and fostering positive social relationships. Furthermore, the shared attention and emotional bonding that occurs during reading contribute to a child’s sense of security, which is vital for their emotional well-being.
4. Promoting Self-Concept and Confidence
Self-awareness, or the ability to recognize one’s own emotions and abilities, is a core aspect of social-emotional development. Early literacy activities play a key role in developing a positive self-concept by promoting confidence in young children. Research by Lowry et al. (2022) suggests that children who engage in interactive reading activities that incorporate repetition, rhyme, and rhythm show improved self-confidence, as they feel a sense of mastery when they begin to predict and understand storylines or recite parts of books they’ve heard before.
Additionally, books that feature strong, positive, relatable role models or that depict characters overcoming challenges help children develop resilience and an understanding of their own potential. When children see characters who look like them or who share similar experiences, they are more likely to develop a positive view of themselves and their abilities.
Here are some practical ways to incorporate early literacy for social-emotional growth:
- Engage children in discussions during reading. Ask open-ended questions about the emotions and actions of characters to foster empathy and emotional awareness.
- Choose books that reflect a variety of emotional experiences and diverse characters. Books that highlight emotional regulation, problem-solving, and empathy-building can directly enhance social-emotional development.
- Encourage children to act out scenes from stories after reading them. This helps children practice social behaviors, emotional responses, and conflict resolution.
- Include books that repeat phrases or include rhymes to help children feel more confident as they recognize patterns in the story, which can translate to increased emotional and social confidence.
- Use storybooks as opportunities to model how to handle emotions. Show how characters in the book deal with frustration, sadness, or joy, and discuss how similar emotions can be managed in real life.
By intentionally integrating early literacy activities into daily routines, caregivers help young children develop the foundational social-emotional competencies they will need throughout their lives.
Lynne Hall is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability & Community’s Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction, equitable strategies, and inclusive preschool classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu
References
- Bayot, M. A., Li, D., & Park, S. (2023). The role of early narrative exposure in promoting emotional regulation among preschool children. Journal of Child Development and Education, 49(2), 234-248.
- Lowry, J., Garcia, R., & Clark, E. (2022). Interactive reading and self-concept development in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 56, 121-133.
- Morrison, F. J., Keil, C., & Lindgren, A. (2021). Shared reading practices and their impact on language and social skills in children. Child Development Perspectives, 15(1), 40-49.
- Zinsser, K. M., McInerney, M., & Westbrook, J. (2020). The role of narrative books in fostering emotional understanding in early childhood. Early Childhood Research Review, 18(3), 45-56.
Brrr! For many of us winter is here and it can be daunting to think about how to keep young children engaged during the chilly months ahead. However, winter offers an opportunity to engage children in unique hands-on interactive seasonal-themed activities that promote early literacy skills development. Let’s explore some strategies for supporting early literacy during the winter months.
2. Provide Storytelling and Creative Play Opportunities
4. Recite Rhymes and Poems and Sing Songs
Ensuring early literacy activities are accessible for children with special needs involves addressing their individual strengths and challenges. It is important to adopt a multisensory approach, such as incorporating visual, auditory, and tactile elements, to engage different learning preferences. For children with physical disabilities, materials should be adapted when needed and include things like large-print books, braille, or interactive apps with touch-based input. Modifications such as simplifying instructions, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and offering lots of repetition can also help children with cognitive or developmental delays fully participate in literacy experiences. For children with speech or language impairments, using picture cues, sign language, or augmentative communication devices can support understanding and expression.
Celebrating holidays in early childhood settings is not only fun and exciting, it offers additional opportunities to develop children’s early literacy skills by connecting lessons to occasions occurring both in the context of their daily lives and cultures and those around the world. Holiday literacy lessons involve books, dramatic play, drawing/writing, cooking, crafts, games, etc. that support children’s vocabulary and language acquisition and develop their writing skills. Throughout the season, be sure your lessons and experiences share how diverse cultures celebrate different holidays and pay equal attention to the holidays celebrated by different cultures, especially any that might be unique to the students in your community, such as:
The Thanksgiving holiday is quickly approaching and it frequently sparks interest in storytelling, family traditions, and cultural heritage, all of which can foster foundational literacy skills. Thanksgiving provides a unique opportunity to develop language, comprehension, and social skills when we incorporate literacy activities into our Thanksgiving preparations. Let’s explore some research-informed early literacy strategies to use during Thanksgiving:
Share holiday-specific vocabulary like “feast,” “gratitude,” and “celebration” to expand children’s word knowledge and language proficiency. Caregivers can use these words in sentences and encourage children to do the same, helping them learn the new words in context.
Encourage children to create a “thankfulness” journal or book in which they draw, collage, or write about things they are thankful for. This not only helps them practice writing, but also to think about their personal experiences and practice self-expression.
Lynne Hall, Research Associate, holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction, equity in early childhood education, and inclusive classroom practices.
Music plays an important role in supporting early literacy development. Research shows that integrating music into early childhood education can enhance phonological awareness, vocabulary acquisition, and motor skills which are foundational to reading and writing. Let’s take a closer look at how music fosters early literacy skills.
According to a 2023 study, musical activities can increase children’s vocabulary because songs introduce them to a wide variety of new words in a fun and engaging way. This can reinforce their understanding and retention of language. 
It’s that time of year again. The holidays are approaching and we start thinking about all the fun crafts we can do with our little ones. Yes, crafts are fun and cute, but as with all activities, be sure to consider what makes crafting meaningful for young children and always consider the purpose of the craft (your learning objectives) before identifying a craft to create. That means thinking about what you want children to learn from the craft experience. For very young children the process of creating a craft is where the learning happens, it is not the end product that matters. If all your craft projects look the same, chances are the craft was more adult directed than necessary and the focus may have been on the product rather than the process. Craft products look different as children grow and their conceptual understanding develops. For example, if you create handprint turkeys and the paper/craft feathers are perfectly aligned, the paint handprint is smudge-less, the two googly eyes are in the right place and symmetrical, and the pompom beak is in the center of the face, think about how much child exploration and process actually happened. What did children learn from that experience? Conversely, if your handprint turkeys are different colors because children were able to choose the paint color (yes, even black!), the handprints look more like smashed pumpkins because the children were able to slap their hands and move them on the paper, the eyes (no eyes or lots of eyes) are at the bottom, sides, middle, or top of the page because that’s where children put them, and the pompom beak and paper/craft feathers are everywhere because the children were able to squeeze the glue and navigate where to put them using the entire canvas then they have likely had a completely different experience. If your learning objectives included fine
pencils and forming letters later on. Simple crafts strengthen children’s hand muscles and improve dexterity.
Letter and Sound Recognition: Making an alphabet book or creating letter-shaped collages can directly support early phonological awareness when adults guide conversations about letters and sounds during the activity. This can help children associate letters with their sounds. According to research by Lonigan et al. (2022), these early phonological skills are strong predictors of later reading success. Research by Whitehurst (2022) suggests that children who engage in print-rich environments, where they see words and letters in context, develop better print awareness. Crafting with letters or labeling their work with words can support this skill.
The Autumn season offers numerous opportunities to support early literacy development with its vibrant colors, exciting holidays, and cozy atmosphere. Educators and families can maximize children’s natural curiosity and excitement of this time of year to create meaningful and engaging literacy experiences. Incorporating seasonal themes into literacy activities helps children connect learning to their real world which makes the process more enjoyable and impactful. Let’s explore how you can use fall-themed activities to promote early literacy skills.
Fall brings an abundance of new sights, sounds, and textures, providing the perfect backdrop for building vocabulary. A 2022 study by Zucker et al. found that hands-on, experiential learning activities, such as nature walks, significantly enhanced children’s vocabulary development, especially when paired with rich language input from educators.
5. Fall-Themed Interactive Read-Alouds
that when young children engage in creative art activities, they often narrate their creations, which leads to natural opportunities for early writing and literacy development.
Activity Idea:
Whether you call it “Show and Tell”, “Sharing Time”, “All About Me” or some other name, providing children opportunities to share information about themselves and their preferences is a classic classroom activity that offers a powerful way to develop early literacy skills, especially in young children. Encouraging children to bring objects from home and describe them to their peers builds essential language, comprehension, and social skills which are foundational for literacy development. Recent research highlights the significance of using “Show and Tell” to promote vocabulary growth, narrative skills, and oral language development.
Show and Tell can also support the literacy development of culturally diverse learners. Research indicates that students from diverse backgrounds, including multi-lingual learners, benefit from strategies like Show and Tell that promote verbal and non-verbal communication (Nutta et al., 2020). Show and Tell offers a way for children to bring in objects that are meaningful in their culture, which supports a sense of belonging while helping their peers learn about different traditions and perspectives. This inclusivity not only enriches the classroom environment but also supports literacy by embedding learning within meaningful, real-life experiences.
which fosters narrative skills and comprehension. According to a 2022 report by the National Institute for Early Education Research, children who have opportunities to reflect on stories or personal experiences develop better narrative abilities, key predictors of later reading success. For example, after reading a book, you might ask, “Can you remember a time when you felt like the character?” or “What would you do if you were in this story?”
Knowing the early literacy skills children have mastered and which ones are emerging for them is key to designing instruction and additional interventions that support ALL children to achieve high outcomes. It is essential to assess children’s literacy skills accurately and meaningfully. Authentic assessment provides a holistic view of children’s early literacy skills in real-world contexts. Authentic assessment means evaluating children’s abilities’ during everyday experiences. According to Gullo and Hughes (2020), authentic early literacy assessments should engage children in activities that reflect actual reading and writing tasks, such as storytelling, journaling, conversations, and interactive reading sessions because they demonstrate a child’s true capabilities. Let’s explore the some authentic early literacy assessment strategies:
These types of activities provide opportunities to evaluate children’s skills in a relaxed and playful environment, minimizing pressure and anxiety. Research by Bryant and Bradley (2024) suggests that incorporating play-based phonemic awareness activities into literacy assessments not only enhances engagement but also provides a more accurate reflection of a child’s phonological processing skills.