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”… Read more »
Pretending Can Build Literacy Skills
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… Read more »
Create and Read: How Crafting Supports Early Literacy Skills
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… Read more »
Fall into Literacy: Using The Autumn Season to Support Early Literacy Skills
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… Read more »
Literacy Rich Environments
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… Read more »
Developing Phonological and Phonemic Awareness with Pre Readers and Writers
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… Read more »
How to Develop Phonological and Phonemic Awareness During the Early Reading and Writing Stage
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… Read more »
Emergent Literacy and Alphabet Knowledge
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… Read more »
How to Develop Phonological and Phonemic Awareness During Emergent Literacy
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… Read more »
Early Literacy: Developmental Continuum
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… Read more »