Early Literacy Activities to do at Home

In October, we featured a posting about early literacy activities you can do at the library.  If you haven't visited the corner, check it out!  It's right near the play area by the information desk.  This week as you find yourself home with children during the winter school break, or are looking for some fun and simple reading activities to do together, try one of these below.  They have both been included in our Early Literacy corner at the library, so they're sure to be a hit at home! 

Read a picture book such as, Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes.
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When you are done reading, use these questions to help get your child interacting with the book.  This kind of talking creates conversation between you and your child and enables self-expression.  Reading aloud together helps your child develop oral language skills.  

• Ask your child to tell you about something that happened in the book.
• Ask “what” questions. Point to a picture and say, “What’s that?” or “What is happening here?”
• Read the book together but switch what you do.  You be the listener and have your child tell the story.
• Help your child relate what is happening in the story to her own experience, for example, “Did you ever think the moon looked like something else?” 
• Being able to tell or retell a story helps children understand what they read.

Read an ABC book such as, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault.
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When you finish the book, try these fun playtime activities to help reinforce the letters and sounds.  Singing, playing and writing are all important ways to incorporate reading skills and help your child recognize the different letters, know their names and the sounds they make. 

• Sing the ABC Song.
• Make letters from clay or use magnetic letters.
• Write your child’s first name and help them spell it aloud.
• Point out and name letters when reading the book you choose.
• Write words that interest your child (like“truck”) using crayons, magnetic letters or pencil and paper.
• Knowing the names and sounds of letters helps children figure out how to say written words.