This week we are putting the spotlight on Early Literacy awareness, a campaign designed to help young readers (and pre-readers) develop their skills. We're celebrating at the Library with a wide range of programs. Here are some tips to help you and the youngsters in your life get started:

1) Develop Phonological Awareness: Sing With Your Child!

The sense of rhythm obtained from listening to songs and rhymes will help your child to identify patterns, like rhyming words, which will help them learn to read.  Because songs automatically break down words into smaller sounds through tones, singing with your child is one of the best ways to develop early literacy skills.

2) Develop Print Motivation: Get Your Child Excited About Reading and Books!

Be sure to make your reading time together fun by being creative and enthusiastic.  Help develop your child’s love of reading by finding books that speak to your child’s interests and share them often.

3) Develop Narrative Skills: Let Your Child Be a Storyteller!

Using props to help your child retell stories develops their narrative skills.  This is one of the skills important for your child later to be able to understand what they read.

4) Develop Print Awareness: Make the Connection!

Help your child discover that print has meaning.  This can be done by pointing to the words in the title of a book as you say them.  Also, point to the words in a repeated phrase as you say them.  This helps your child see that in English, we read from left to right and from top to bottom.

 5) Develop Vocabulary: Teach Your Child New Words!

Don’t be afraid to read books that have new words in them.  Using and discussing new words helps kids with reading and conversation.