Literacy from the Start – Linking research to practice

A Culturally Responsive Thanksgiving

Posted on November 14, 2025 by hallma

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, but did you know that November is also National Native American Heritage month? During this time, be intentional about using terms that value and respect all people and avoid stereotyping by planning lessons and using materials that celebrate Native American heritage and traditions. For example, steer away from creating “Indian headbands” as this is often viewed as offensive due to the special meaning and significance behind headdresses being given to warriors and chiefs. Having children create and wear these headbands ignores their sacred meaning to Native American people. Instead, consider reading books like Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story by Kevin Noble Maillard and then reenacting the story and either making, or pretending to make, fry bread (see this previous post Pretending Can Build Literacy Skills for information on how literacy skills are developed during dramatic play). Use this special time of year as an opportunity to enrich children’s understanding of Native American culture.

The Very First Americans , a story by Cara Ashrose, describes how Native Americans are the nation’s first people and explains where the term “Indian” originated.

Thanksgiving lessons often include those on gratitude and the traditional foods served during this holiday. Here are some diverse books on gratitude:

As you discuss traditional Thanksgiving dishes, consider having a larger conversation about foods common to other cultures and have children share about foods they enjoy in their culture.

Here are some books that celebrate foods around the world:

Ask a question today!

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 and inclusive preschool classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu

Pretending Can Build Literacy Skills

Posted on November 7, 2025 by hallma

Teacher playing kitchen roleplay with her students in the classroom. she is pouring a pretend cup of tea for a little girl.

One of the many joys of being an early childhood educator is watching and developing children’s growing imaginations. Symbolic behavior play is related to the understanding of a representational system like written language and language behavior in dramatic play is related to literate language (Mielonen, Paterson, 2009). Children are also developing their oral language skills by engaging in peer conversations during these experiences.

Pretend play helps children interpret and make sense of reading and writing even before learning the skills connected to print (Neuman, 2019). Here are two examples of how intentionally planned dramatic play experiences can support early literacy skills:

Acting Out Stories: When children act out stories, they have opportunities to a) use new vocabulary in context (e.g., story props), b) share their comprehension of the story plot and themes, c) sequence events (beginning, middle, and end), and d) use creative thinking by inventing new plot twists and endings. You can support children during these activities by focusing on the process and encouraging children to share their ideas without correcting grammar or word choice (within reason) and asking open ended questions. Dramatic play is a time for children, as much as possible, to share their understanding through unbridled self-expression.
Dramatic Play Learning Center: When children pretend home, restaurant, office, store, grocery, or any other number of possibilities, they incorporate vocabulary and literacy tools pertinent to the context of that scenario. For example, they might “read” menus and write on “ordering pads” during restaurant play, “read” environmental print (e.g., food pictures) during grocery store play, or they might use cash registers, note pads, and write on receipt books during store and office play. Be mindful to affirm all stages of the writing process including scribbling, symbolic pictures, and invented or phonetic spelling and resist the urge to “correct” spelling by celebrating this stage of the writing continuum as a natural progression towards traditional spelling and writing. This will encourage children to continue writing which supports further skills development through practice.

*See the dramatic play section of this document for open-ended questions to use during your pretend activities: https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/docs/default-source/preschool-partnerships/preschool-partnerships/questions-in-centers.pdf?sfvrsn=28e1ff17_2

When planning dramatic play lessons, use culturally responsive practices by avoiding books or activities that denote or evoke stereotypical, derogatory, or otherwise insensitive messages about a particular culture or ethnicity. Be sure to visit the blog again next week when I’ll share how to celebrate the American Thanksgiving holiday in a culturally responsive way.

You can ensure all children have access to and can fully participate in dramatic play experiences by:

Arranging, adapting, and modifying space and materials (e.g., adding larger handled utensils, swapping some zippers for Velcro, modifying writing tools, having alternative seating, ensuring space accommodates wheelchairs or walkers, providing assistive technology, etc.) as needed.
Providing alternative communication supports such as visuals (signs, pictures, cards, etc.).
Facilitating interactions through peer and adult support.

Ask a question today!

Create and Read: How Crafting Supports Early Literacy Skills

Posted on October 31, 2025 by hallma

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 motor skill development, exploring different textures, and/or creating a product, which experience do you think the children learned the most from? Even if your learning objectives include following directions, you can provide directions without controlling the craft process or product. For this example, the directions may be something like “keep the glue and materials on the paper”, “first use the crayons/markers, then paint and then the glue” rather than how to assemble the craft. Similarly, we are often tempted to provide young children a model of what a craft product “should” look like. A more effective way is to provide children lots of contextual background knowledge instead. For this example, before doing a handprint turkey craft, have lots of conversations about turkeys (e.g., do turkeys fly? what is a beak?, and what is the wattle and why do turkeys have them?), read lots of stories with turkeys in them, and look at and listen to real turkeys using non-fiction books and video, first. You might even put a picture book or a picture of a turkey in the craft area for inspiration rather than having a completed handprint turkey to replicate.

Now that we understand more about meaningful “crafting” in early childhood, let’s explore how crafts offer a great opportunity to develop early literacy skills.

Crafts provide opportunities for children to engage in meaningful play while reinforcing language and literacy skills. Research shows that young children develop essential pre-literacy skills by engaging in activities like crafting because these experiences help build the neural connections necessary for later reading success (Neuman & Celano, 2020). Here are some examples:

Fine Motor Skills and Writing Readiness: Providing craft activities such as coloring, cutting, picking up small objects, tearing, and pasting help children develop fine motor skills, essential for writing. According to research by Defior and Serrano (2021), fine motor coordination is closely tied to early writing abilities, allowing children to practice holding pencils and forming letters later on. Simple crafts strengthen children’s hand muscles and improve dexterity.

Example: Color and Shape Collages: Provide children with a variety of shapes and colors to create collages. While they work, ask them to describe what they’re using. Use this opportunity to introduce new vocabulary words (e.g., “triangle,” “rectangle,” “sparkly”). This boosts language development and print awareness as they learn to connect words with objects.

Language Development Through Conversation: Talking with children by describing the materials and process (e.g., “This is red paper. Let’s cut it into a circle.” or “Here is the turkey wattle, remember when we talked about that at circle time?”) introduces and reinforces new vocabulary and encourages language-rich conversations. According to Hoff’s (2021) research, children learn language through interactions that offer exposure to a variety of words and concepts. Crafting is a natural opportunity for these conversations. A 2023 study by Cameron-Faulkner and Harris emphasizes that vocabulary development in early childhood is heavily influenced by caregiver-child interactions during play-based activities, including crafts. Engaging children in conversations about their creations supports vocabulary acquisition, which is crucial for later reading comprehension.

Example: Homemade Storybooks: Guide children in creating their own simple storybooks. They can draw pictures to represent different parts of their story, while adults transcribe the child’s words. This promotes storytelling, vocabulary development, and narrative sequencing.

Storytelling and Narrative Skills: Creating craft activities that involve characters, like storybook animal scenes, encourage children to develop storytelling abilities. As they assemble the pieces, adults can guide them in dictating/narrating stories around their crafts (e.g., “What is the rabbit doing in the forest?”). This kind of narrative practice helps children understand story structure, an important precursor to reading comprehension (Paris & Paris, 2021).

Example: Storytime Puppets: Have children create simple paper-bag puppets or finger puppets, then use them to retell a favorite story. Not only does this develop narrative skills, but it also allows children to practice sequencing and comprehension as they recall the events of the story.

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.

Example: Paper Plate Alphabet Pizzas: Use paper plates as a “pizza” base and cut out different “toppings” in the shape of letters. Children can place the letter toppings on the pizza and identify the sounds each letter makes. This fun, tactile activity reinforces letter recognition and phonological awareness.

Resources

Zero to Three
Offers practical tips on early childhood development, including activities and ideas for promoting literacy through play and crafts.
PBS Kids for Parents
A resource for finding age-appropriate craft ideas that are educational and language-rich.
Reading Rockets
Provides research-based strategies, activities, and resources for early literacy development, with a focus on engaging parents and caregivers in hands-on learning.

Crafts offer a fun and engaging way to foster young children’s early literacy skills By combining hands-on activities with rich language experiences, caregivers support young children to build the foundational skills needed for future reading and writing success. Whether it’s storytelling, vocabulary development, or fine motor practice, being creative can play a significant role in a child’s literacy journey.

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, equity in early childhood education and inclusive classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html

Ask a question today!

Fall into Literacy: Using The Autumn Season to Support Early Literacy Skills

Posted on October 24, 2025 by hallma

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.

1. Autumn Themed Storytelling and Retelling

Storytelling is a powerful strategy for developing children’s oral language and comprehension skills. Fall-themed books and stories, such as those about leaves changing color, apple picking, or Halloween adventures, can capture children’s interest and motivate them to engage with texts.

According to a study by Wasik et al. (2020), engaging children in storytelling and retelling activities improves children’s comprehension, vocabulary, and ability to sequence events. Using stories with familiar fall elements helps children build connections between the text and their experiences which further enhances their understanding.

Activity Idea:

Read-Aloud & Retelling: Choose a fall-themed book (e.g., The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown) for a read-aloud session. After reading, encourage children to retell the story by 1) using props (e.g., toy scarecrows, pumpkins, or leaves), 2) acting it out with costumes, or 3) having a puppet show to develop their narrative skills in a playful and imaginative way.

Resource: Storyline Online offers free video read-alouds that can support interactive storytelling.

2. Fall Nature Walks and Vocabulary Building

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.

Activity Idea:

Nature Walk & Word Hunt: Take children on a nature walk and encourage them to collect fall-themed objects like leaves, acorns, or pinecones. Back in the classroom or at home, create a “Fall Word Wall” by writing down descriptive words (e.g., crunchy, orange, smooth) associated with the items they found. Discuss the new words and their meanings to expand vocabulary.

Resource: PBS Learning Media has excellent fall-themed vocabulary activities and printable resources for PK and up.

3. Phonemic Awareness with Fall Rhymes and Songs

Phonemic awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words, is a critical component of early literacy. Research by Castles et al. (2022) emphasizes that engaging children in playful, sound-based activities helps develop their ability to decode words as they begin reading.

Fall-themed songs and rhymes, such as “Five Little Pumpkins” or “The Leaves on the Trees,” are ideal for supporting phonemic awareness. Their repetition, rhyme, and rhythm help children develop an ear for language.

Activity Idea:

Pumpkin Rhyming: Use a small pumpkin and pass it around in a circle. Either an adult or a child (depending on age and skill level) says a word that rhymes with “fall” or “leaf.” You can also provide themed rhyming pairs on cards (e.g., “bat” and “cat”) and help children match them.

Resource: Reading Rockets provides activities and resources for rhyming games and phonemic awareness building. Just type what you are looking for in the search engine.

4. Pumpkin-Themed Writing and Letter Recognition

Writing activities can easily take on a fall theme by incorporating fall symbols (e.g., pumpkins, apples, etc.). Children’s fine motor skills and letter recognition are strengthened when they engage in hands-on writing exercises that spark their interest. A 2023 study by Rowe and Neitzel highlighted the benefits of themed, engaging writing activities in helping young children practice letter formation and sound-letter correspondence.

Activity Idea:

Pumpkin Patch Letters: Create a “pumpkin patch” where each paper pumpkin has a different letter on it. Children can “pick” a pumpkin and practice writing that letter or finding objects in the room that start with the corresponding sound. This activity blends letter recognition with phonics! As with all activities, it is important to ensure your activities are developmentally appropriate for the children in your care. For example, this activity can be modified by having children draw, color, or paint on the pumpkins instead of letter writing while still exposing them to letters and letter sounds.

Resource: The Measured Mom offers free printable fall-themed alphabet and writing activities.

5. Fall-Themed Interactive Read-Alouds

Interactive read-alouds, where children actively participate by answering questions, making predictions, or acting out parts of the story, promote comprehension and vocabulary growth. Research by Neuman et al. (2020) shows that interactive read-alouds are especially effective in boosting literacy skills when tied to engaging themes that capture children’s imaginations.

Activity Idea:

Interactive Read-Aloud with Predictions: Choose a fall-themed book (e.g., Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert). Before reading, ask children to predict what the story will be about based on the cover. Pause throughout the story to ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why did the character do that?” Encourage children to explain their thinking.

Resource: Scholastic’s Book Wizard https://bookwizard.scholastic.com/can help you find age-appropriate fall-themed books for read-alouds for grades PK and up.

6. Using Fall Art to Promote Early Writing Skills

Art is a meaningful way for children to express themselves and can serve as a bridge to writing. Pyle and Danniels (2023) found 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:

Leaf Collage & Story Writing: After collecting colorful fall leaves, children can make a leaf collage. Once their artwork is complete, ask them to dictate or write (depending on their skill level) a short story about their collage. This activity combines creativity with language development and helps children connect a visual representation with words.

Resource: Teachers Pay Teachers offers a variety of free fall-themed writing prompts and art activities that align with early literacy standards.

7. Engaging Families with Fall Literacy Activities

Families play a crucial role in reinforcing early literacy skills at home. According to Sonnenschein and Metzger (2021), when parents engage their children in literacy-related activities, such as shared reading or storytelling, it enhances children’s early reading skills and fosters a positive attitude toward reading.

Activity Idea:

Fall Reading Challenge: Send home a “Fall Reading Challenge” where families are encouraged to read a selection of fall-themed books together. Create a bingo board with different reading activities (e.g., “Read a book about pumpkins,” “Read a book under a blanket”).

Resource: Scholastic Parents offers family engagement tips and fall-themed book lists to encourage literacy at home.

The fall season provides a variety of themes and activities that can be leveraged to support early literacy skills in fun and effective ways. Young learners have the chance to connect literacy with the changing world around them when engaging in fall themed interactive read-alouds, nature walks, and pumpkin-themed writing and phonemic awareness games. Incorporating fall-themed activities can nurture a love of reading and writing that lasts beyond the season.

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, equity in early childhood education and inclusive classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html

Ask a question today!

Literacy Rich Environments

Posted on October 17, 2025 by hallma

Over the last few weeks, this blog has shared lots of strategies for developing young children’s literacy skills during different stages of their development (emergent, early reading and writing, and pre-reading and writing). Research affirms that a key strategy for promoting the development of all 5 key literacy skills [ 1) phonological awareness, 2) phonemic awareness, 3) alphabet knowledge, 4) concepts about print, and 5) oral language] is to create a literacy rich environment. Here are some concrete ways to ensure you have an accessible literacy rich environment:

Provide a wide variety of print, reading, writing, and electronic materials.
Adapt literacy materials to meet children’s individual needs (e.g., pencil grips, page turning devices, Velcro, etc.)
Balance informational and narrative texts.
Model the functional purposes of print, reading, and writing (e.g., pointing out signs, making lists of materials, reading a recipe, etc.).
Add literacy materials to learning centers ( Learning Centers’ Literacy Materials List).
Include a variety of props in lessons, activities, and learning centers.
Embed materials in natural and functional ways (e.g., paper and pencils for notes, pictures for shopping lists, etc.) with time for children to “read” and “write” for self-selected purposes.
Schedule opportunities for children to self-select texts and “read” independently.
Make culturally responsive choices by selecting materials that include ethnic, racial, ability, linguistic, and familial diversity.

Remember that the conversations we have with children within these environments is pivotal. See my previous Literacy from the Start Blog posts ( Words, words, words! and Oral Language Development Beyond Vocabulary Building ) for information about building children’s vocabularies and engaging them in conversations.

Ask a question today!

Developing Phonological and Phonemic Awareness with Pre Readers and Writers

Posted on October 10, 2025 by hallma

Children typically become pre readers and writers at about the age of five. During this stage, they will exhibit more advanced reading and writing abilities. You can support their phonological and phonemic awareness by continuing all of the activities you were doing when they were in the early reading and writing stage while placing more emphasis on things like:

Reading Aloud Regularly: Reading to children is one of the most effective ways to expose them to the sounds of language. Choose books with rhymes and alliteration, and emphasize the sounds of words as you read. Encourage children to listen for rhyming words and identify repeated sounds.
Segmenting Phonemes: Help children break down words into individual sounds or phonemes. Start with simple words and ask them to identify the separate sounds. For example, with the word “cat,” ask them to say each sound (/k/ – /a/ – /t/) separately and then blend them together to form the word.
Blending Phonemes: Practice blending sounds together to create words. You can use letter blocks, magnetic letters, or flashcards with simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words. Ask children to blend the sounds together to pronounce the word correctly.
Discriminating Sounds: Play games that involve sound discrimination. You can ask children to identify which sound is different in a set of words or objects. For example, you could present three objects like a “cat,” “hat,” and “dog” and ask them to point out the one that starts with a different sound.
Engaging in Rhyming and Alliteration Activities: Engage in activities that focus on rhyming and alliteration. Sing rhyming songs, read rhyming books, and play games where children generate their own rhyming words and support nonsense word rhymes. Encourage them to come up with alliterative phrases using the same initial sound.
Playing Sound Awareness Games: Use sound awareness games to help children identify and isolate specific sounds in their environment. For instance, you can reveal an object and say, “I have a bucket, can you find something that starts with the same sound as bucket?, and let them search for an item.
Using Phonemic Awareness Apps and Games: There are many phonemic awareness apps and games available that make learning interactive and enjoyable. These tools can reinforce the concepts and provide additional practice.
Creating Word Families: Help children develop groups of words with the same ending (rime) (e.g., -at family: cat, bat, hat). Children can practice recognizing and generating words within the same word family, which enhances their ability to identify common phonemes.

Be sure to offer children lots of opportunities to practice their skills and provide them ongoing specific positive feedback for their efforts to keep them motivated. Lastly, remember that chronological ages are very general guidelines and that every child develops literacy skills at their own pace. Adults in the lives of children know them best and are well-equipped to support their literacy journey as they grow.

Ask a question today!

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.

Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html

How to Develop Phonological and Phonemic Awareness During the Early Reading and Writing Stage

Posted on October 3, 2025 by hallma

Children in the early reading and writing stage are usually between 3 and 4 years of age, but this is a very general guideline because all children develop at their own pace. Here are some strategies to support phonological and phonemic awareness with early readers and writers:

Rhyming Activities: Rhyming games and activities help children recognize and produce rhyming words. You can read rhyming books, sing rhyming songs, or play games like “Rhyming Bingo.”
Listening and Discrimination: Encourage children to listen to and discriminate between different sounds in words. For example, ask them to identify the beginning, middle, or ending sounds in words (e.g., “What sound do you hear at the beginning of ‘cat’?”).
Segmentation: Teach children to break words into individual sounds (phonemes). Start with compound words and progress to shorter words. For example, play games that break down words like “pancake” into “pan” and “cake.”
Blending: Practice blending sounds together to form words. Start with simple two or three-sound words, such as “c-a-t” or “d-o-g.” Gradually move to more complex words.
Phonemic Awareness Games: Use games and activities to make learning fun. Games like “I Spy” or “Sound Bingo” can be engaging ways to reinforce phonemic awareness skills.
Phoneme Manipulation: Once children are comfortable with segmenting and blending, introduce phoneme manipulation tasks, like changing the first sound in a word (e.g., change “cat” to “bat”).
Letter-Sound Correspondence: Teach the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds (phonics). Start with simple letter-sound pairs and gradually introduce more complex ones.
Reading Aloud: Read books and stories to children regularly. Encourage them to listen to the sounds in words as you read. You can point out rhyming words and help them identify individual sounds.
Word Families: Explore word families (e.g., -at words like cat, bat, hat). Once children recognize the patterns, they can apply them to new words.
Syllable Awareness: Help children become aware of syllables in words. Clapping or tapping the number of syllables in a word is a useful activity.
Manipulatives and Visual Aids: Use manipulatives like letter tiles or magnetic letters to make phonemic awareness tactile. Visual aids and posters can reinforce letter-sound relationships.
Encourage Writing: Encourage children to write and spell words based on the sounds they hear. Celebrate phonemic spelling!

Remember that developing phonological and phonemic awareness is a gradual process, and it’s important to be patient and supportive.

Ask a question today!

Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html

Emergent Literacy and Alphabet Knowledge

Posted on September 26, 2025 by hallma

Emergent literacy generally occurs during the first two years of life. But remember, chronological ages are very general guidelines and all children develop at their own pace. For more information on the early literacy stages, please visit this previous blog post: https://blogs.iu.edu/earlyliteracy/2023/08/25/early-literacy-developmental-continuum/

Developing alphabet knowledge during the emergent literacy stage focuses on exposure, exploration, and positive interactions. Let’s explore some ways to do this:

Read Aloud: Begin reading to children from birth. Choose board books with large, colorful pictures and simple text. As they grow, point to and name letters and objects in the pictures to reinforce letter names and sounds and vocabulary.
Letter Play: Introduce letters in a playful manner. Use alphabet blocks, foam letters, or magnetic letters. Allow children to touch and explore the letters but always ensure that materials are age appropriate and don’t pose a choking risk. As children grow, you can provide sensory experiences, such as tracing letters in sand or using finger paint.
Letter Recognition: It’s never to early to point out letters in books, on signs and in the environment. Use alphabet books that highlight each letter with corresponding pictures. Keep these interactions low key and fun.
Alphabet Songs : Sing educational songs that focus on the alphabet.
Immersive Experiences: Incorporate letters into daily activities. As children grow, use foam letters to spell out simple words during water play and bring toddlers’ attention to letters on food packaging during mealtime.
Model Reading and Writing: Show children the importance of reading and writing by engaging in these activities yourself. Let children see you reading books and writing notes.
Create a Print-Rich Environment: Surround children with printed materials. Posters, labels, and books should be easily accessible. Exposure like this familiarizes children with the written word.

Make learning enjoyable. The goal during emergent literacy is to foster a positive association with language and literacy.

Ask a question today!

Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html

How to Develop Phonological and Phonemic Awareness During Emergent Literacy

Posted on September 19, 2025 by hallma

During the emergent literacy stage our earliest developing readers and writers, typically aged birth to two years, are just beginning to understand and manipulate the sounds and structures of language. Even though children in this stage are not yet explicitly aware of phonemes and phonological concepts, there are strategies that promote language development that also support their early phonological and phonemic awareness. Understanding these strategies can also be helpful for addressing any precursory skills children might be lacking as they grow.

Talk to Your Child: Engage in conversations with children, no matter how young, using varied vocabulary and sentence structures. Describe what you are doing, what they are seeing, and what is happening around them. This may be one of the most easily implemented strategies, however it is also easily overlooked during the hustle and bustle of daily life and its many demands on our time and attention.
Read Aloud: Research indicates that reading aloud to children of all ages regularly is one of the single most predictive measures of their literacy outcomes. Choose age-appropriate books with colorful pictures and engaging stories. Point to and describe the pictures and encourage your child to imitate sounds and gestures.
Sing Nursery Rhymes and Songs: Sing nursery rhymes, songs, and simple chants with children. This exposes them to the rhythmic and melodic aspects of language.
Play with Sounds: Make playful sounds and noises such as clapping, tapping, and humming and encourage children to mimic these sounds.
Introduce Rhymes: Expose children to rhyming words and play rhyming games.
Imitate Sounds: Encourage children to imitate animal, vehicle, and other object sounds. This helps them become aware of different sounds in the environment.
Listen and Respond: Pay close attention to children’s babbling and attempts to communicate and respond with enthusiasm and encouragement.
Use Onomatopoeic Words: Use words that imitate sounds, like “buzz,” “moo,” or “chirp” to help children make connections between sounds and their meanings.
Explore Environmental Sounds: Encourage children to listen to and identify various environmental sounds, such as birds chirping, a car honking, or water running.
Provide Sound Making Toys: Encourage children to interact with toys that produce sounds, such as musical instruments or toys that make different noises when pressed.
Utilize Baby Sign Language: Introduce simple signs for common words (e.g., “more,” “eat,” “drink”) because it helps children associate gestures with specific sounds and meanings.
Repeat and Reinforce Language: Repeat sounds, words, and simple phrases to reinforce language sounds and patterns.

Remember to keep these activities enjoyable and age-appropriate. The goal is to create a rich language environment that fosters curiosity, engagement, and early language development in young children.

Ask a question today!

Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html

Early Literacy: Developmental Continuum

Posted on September 5, 2025 by hallma

The Reading Brain

Early literacy skills serve as building blocks for a child’s future reading and writing abilities, enabling them to thrive academically and in life. Let’s explore the Early Literacy Skills Continuum, understanding its significance and effective ways to support children on their unique literacy journey.

The Early Literacy Skills Continuum is a developmental framework that outlines the sequential progression of early literacy skills in young children. It serves as a guide for identifying and supporting a child’s literacy development appropriately. This continuum typically encompasses a range of skills that emerge from birth until the age of five, setting the stage for more advanced reading and writing abilities later on. Knowing precursory literacy skills is important for meeting children’s individual learning needs.

Emergent Literacy (Birth to Age 2): During the first two years of life, children develop what are known as emergent literacy skills. These skills form the foundational components for later reading and include:

Language Development: Children begin to make sense of sounds, words, and phrases, laying the groundwork for vocabulary acquisition.
Print Awareness: Recognizing that text carries meaning and understanding the basic conventions of written language, such as reading from left to right and top to bottom.
Phonological Awareness: Recognizing and playing with the sounds of spoken language, including things like rhyming and alliteration.

Early Reading and Writing (Ages 3 to 4): Around the age of three, children make significant strides in their literacy development. During this stage, they begin to demonstrate early reading and writing skills, such as:

Letter Recognition: Identifying and naming letters of the alphabet, both in and out of context.
Phonemic Awareness: Understanding individual sounds (phonemes) in words, a crucial skill for decoding and spelling.
Sight Word Recognition: Memorizing and recognizing frequently encountered words by sight.
Scribbling and Drawing: Experimenting with writing tools and producing marks that resemble letters and shapes.
3. Pre-Reading and Writing: As children approach the age of five, they exhibit more advanced pre-reading and writing abilities, including:

Phonics: Understanding the relationship between letters and their corresponding sounds, a key skill for decoding unfamiliar words.
Vocabulary Growth: Expanding their word bank and using more complex language to express themselves.
Narrative Skills: Developing the ability to recount stories and events, indicating an understanding of story structure.

Supporting Early Literacy Skills Development

Reading Aloud: Regularly read books to young children, exposing them to various stories, characters, and concepts. Encourage interactive discussions about the story to enhance comprehension.
Engaging Activities: Provide hands-on activities that promote print awareness, such as labeling objects around the house or creating personalized storybooks.
Phonics Games: Use playful games and exercises to introduce phonics and letter-sound relationships, making learning enjoyable and effective.
Language-Rich Environment: Surround children with a language-rich environment, fostering conversations and active communication.
Modeling Writing: Demonstrate writing skills by creating lists, notes, or stories, inspiring children to imitate and explore their writing abilities.
Patience and Encouragement: Be patient and supportive during this learning journey, celebrating their progress and efforts.

The Early Literacy Skills Continuum highlights the importance of nurturing early literacy development in young children. By understanding the sequential progression of literacy skills, parents, caregivers, and educators can provide appropriate support and encouragement at each stage of a child’s growth. Emphasizing early literacy not only sets the stage for academic success but also instills a lifelong love for learning and exploration.

For additional information about early literacy skills and other crucial topics in early childhood, be sure to check out our Early Childhood On-the- Go! Podcast at: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/early-childhood-on-the-go/id1687141215

Lynne Hall 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 preschool classroom practices.

Email her at hallma@iu.edu

https://www.iidc.indiana.edu/ecc/index.html