Learning and Practicing Literacy Skills

The School Years

Early school experiences should be built on the solid foundation of early literacy skills that a child has already acquired, and should also help develop the ability to pay attention for increasingly long periods of time and build and access memory systems.

Reading is NOT a natural activity, even though it is crucial for success in our society. Reading skills need to be developed, reinforced, and practiced! Once a child has “broken the code” and can successfully decode written language, a great deal of practice is necessary to attain fluency and build vocabulary.

Children still struggling as they enter second grade need assessment and intervention to determine how they can be helped. As children move into third grade and beyond, their ability to read well will have a greater and greater impact on other aspects of their school experiences.

Even though we may depend on teachers and schools to provide a formal education for our children, adults need to remember that they play a critical role! The good news is that all of the above required skills, and other concepts that are important like counting, “pretend” writing, and recognizing colors, shapes, and patterns can be acquired using every day activities and opportunities. During this time, there are several things adults can do to help develop a child’s early literacy skills.

Talk, talk, talk!

Make time every day to spend some one-on-one time with each child. Find a quiet, private time – maybe while tucking into bed or waking up in the morning – to make eye contact and give your undivided attention.

Motivate and Energize

Building a brain is extremely energy consuming! Make sure your child has enough rest, appropriate nutrition, and adequate health care, as well as your emotional support, so he is not distracted from learning by physical and emotional issues.

Read With Your Child

Just because a child can read on his own doesn’t mean he no longer enjoys being read to. Especially for younger children, reading is hard work. They love being able to relax and just enjoy the story! Older children may not want to be read to any longer, but they will benefit greatly from discussing things with you that they’ve read, or having you share with them something you’ve read.

Follow the links below for more information and resources.

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