The hardest thing to conquer when it comes to early childhood education will always be reading and writing. Many other aspects of development can come fairly easy with muscle memory such as snaps and Velcro. However, reading and writing take a different level of concentration and skills. Recognizing letters and sounds while knowing how to differentiate what letters make different sounds relies heavily on sight recognition, vocal memory as well as hearing memory. There are a lot of processes that go into being able to read and write. That is why it is important the families work with their children to develop the basic skills that they will need when the hurdle is ready to be jumped.
One way to do this is to offer your child access to books on a fairly regular basis. Make trips to the library or have a collection of books at home. Bring books with you when you go on long rides and vacations. Make a routine to bring books into the home and a part of your child’s routine no matter what the situation. One thing that you don’t want to do is have too many of one type of book. Try to have books in a variety of topics.
- Home Language and English (if applicable)
- Classic children’s books like The Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
- New Age children’s books like Mixed Me by Taye Diggs
- Colorful books with lovely illustrations
- Non-Fiction books and books that rhyme
While you are reading the books to your children, discuss the books with them. Cognitive reasoning is something that will slowly develop over time. While you work on the little skills to get your child ready for reading and writing, allow them to express their concerns, any questions or something they really loved about the book. Ask them why they liked a character to make them think about what it really is that makes them like them. The more you ask, the better the answer will be every time.
Consider also little nuances of language as you read. The little things that they will be able to pick out will help them with more complicated aspects of the language farther down the road.
- Rhymes
- Alliteration
- Sounds and letters! (this is a big one!)
Other than books, allow for your child to have access to letters and alphabet charts. Allow them to learn the letters on their own they can recognize them in the words they are reading and writing. Try not to overwhelm your child with information. Talk to them about how books are read and printing is important to communication. Make sure that your try to tackle one step at a time though. While you can work on multiple things at once, take it slower with letter recognition than you would say, discussing the books.
Early Childhood education is the key to your child’s success in their future classrooms. Creating a spark for reading and writing early will allow your child to accomplish so much. We know it is had to do on your own, and that is why Wollaston Child Care is here to help. Call us at 617-773-7217 today to discuss our classrooms and rates so we can help your child grow.
