Written by Veronica Martin (ECE Coordinator)
Due to the interest of ECE parents, our ECE department set up a workshop specialized for ECE parents to support the learning of their child! The Pre-Literacy Skills workshop took place last Tuesday and the main emphasis was on how early literacy skills are fostered in ECE classrooms and what parents can do to help with their children’s early reading and writing skills while having so much fun! When children have a good foundation of these skills, they will be ready to soar with their literacy proficiency.
Literacy proficiency is something all parents want for their child, but it is not something that is just taught at school. Actually, parents play an important role in the literacy growth of their child. Here are some simple but effective ways to help your child at home.
Read, Read, Read to your child – Even though your child may not be able to read the words themselves, they are listening to the rhythm of the language. They are enjoying the time they spend with you and see reading as a pleasurable experience.
- Expose your child to language – talk to your child to show them that language is useful to gain information and to enjoy each other’s company. The more you talk to your child, the greater their vocabulary is.
- Sing songs – Young children enjoy repetition in simple songs. They practice the words and how they feel as they are formed.
- Expose your child to print – seek out print in the environment, such as signs or menus at a restaurant. Show your child that language is everywhere.
- Model new words – Introduce new words to your child, talk about them. Write them show them what they mean. This way children learn that new words are exciting.
Playing simple games together, such as I-Spy. Use letters to being I-Spy something that beings with C (Cup), I –Spy something that rhymes with mat (Cat)- Listen – Encourage your young child to listen and talk about what they can hear. Children who practice identifying sounds in the environment, find it easier to identify sounds in words when spelling later on. Sound Bingo is a good game to support listening.
- Give your child the opportunity to express themselves – Talk about what they see and what they are doing.
Encourage your child to draw lines and circles – By practicing drawing from top to bottom and drawing lots of circles they are learning the skills to form letters later on. Most letters begin at the top of a page and come down or they begin with a circle shape.- Have fun with your child learning to recognizes letter and language in their environment.
Speak to class teachers, if you need recommendations for more exciting, engaging games or activities for your child and you to share.
Stay tuned as well; the ECE team is planning another parent workshop for you to take you back to your childhood with messy play!