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Children begin to develop the skills they need to become confident with language from a very young age. Early literacy skills include looking at books, following a story, making marks, recognizing printed writing and singing or saying rhymes.
Reading aloud to your child from an early age is the most effective way to help them expand their vocabulary and recognise written words.
Parents who foster a love of reading early on give their child the best foundation to build strong literacy skills.
Literacy skills are crucial throughout your child’s school years from early education through to secondary education and in to adulthood.
What you can do to develop your child's literacy skills
There are lots of ways you can help your child become a confident talker and reader.
Talk to your child as you are doing everyday things
Sing and say rhymes
Reading together
Use funny voices as you look through picture books
Make up stories about favourite teddies
Games with numbers and letters
Help them use writing and drawing materials
Encourage your child to make marks and shapes in sand or playdough
Join your local library
How to help children learn at home
Television and digital devices
There are lots of ways to help your child to learn such as reading together and make believe play. You can use what they have watched on TV or the internet to help their learning .
Talk with them about what they are watching on TV.
Use their favourite television characters in other games and activities
Digital devices such as a laptop, desktop, tablet or smartphone can help some children learn.
Download some apps that will help children learn if your child does use them.
Set age appropriate parental controls on any devices young children are using and supervise their use of websites and apps. Seek advice on being safe on line
Try sharing things your child makes with your friends and family online and encourage others to do the same. Your child might enjoy seeing things they have made on the
screen or seeing what other children have done.
Hungry Little Minds Black Country
Many little things light up hungry little minds. Kids take everything in,and even the smallest things you do with them can make a big difference.
They love it when you chat, play and read with them, even when they’re
too young to understand everything. Whatever the time and wherever you
are, you can turn almost anything into a game.
And every little thing you do together will help set them up nicely for the day they start school.
Hungry Little Minds has lots of activities and resources to help parents.
Hungry Little Minds Black Country
Hungry Little Minds
Useful Links and Resources
Literacy in Early Years
useful resources for parents and professionals to develop literacy
Look Say Sing Play
fun and easy tips to use with your baby
BBC Tiny Happy People
lots of activities and play ideas to boost communication skills
Book Trust
is packed full of activities,books and games. Loads of inspiration for young readers and lots of resources to make storytime fun.
Book Trust Book Finder
lots of story time ideas
Words for Life
has lots of activities and ideas to help your child develop literacy and communication skills. Help your child become a confident talker and learner and get loads of inspiration for fun things to do with your child.
Literacy Trust
has lots of activities,free resources,parent support and the virtual school library
Early Years Resources for Parents and Professionals
has ideas to support 2-4 year old's communication skills.Fun and friendly guides, designed for parents, carers and the whole family.
The Communication Trust
Communication resources for parents
Support for multilingual families at home
Parents and children chatting together, singing songs and sharing books in their home language is a fantastic way to support children's development at this time.
The National Literacy Trust Time Together booklet is a colourful and easy-to-read guide that is full of suggestions for how parents can support their young child's learning at home. It has been translated into thirteen different languages and is available for parents and professionals to download
Download the appropriate translated booklet
email earlyyears@literacytrust.org.uk for further help with literacy
