January 25, 2011 The American Library Association will be
releasing updated information about Every Child Ready to Read in
the upcoming weeks and I thought it would be great to review
Early Literacy skills before the new information is released.
There are six main Early Literacy skills that librarians can
help parents develop to ensure a child’s success in reading:
Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Print Awareness, Narrative Skills,
Letter Knowledge, and Phonological Awareness. Today, more about…
Letter Knowledge: Knowing letters are different from each other,
knowing their names and sounds and recognizing letters
everywhere. This skill helps children understand that words are
made up of smaller parts. - Use shapes, e.g., foam, wood, with
babies. If they become familiar with shapes, it will be easier
for them to see the differences between letters. - Find and
point out letters in different places: like the car, the
doctor’s office, or the store. - Teach children about favorite
letters, such as the letters in thei