When we think about teaching preschoolers to read, our minds often jump to letter flashcards or reading programs. While it is important for kids to learn the letter sounds and to sound out words, early literacy is about much more than that. It’s about sparking curiosity, building understanding, and helping our kids to enjoy language and words. So to build early literacy skills, we don’t need special tools or a curriculum. Opportunities to grow our kids’ literacy skills are tucked into the small, everyday moments of life. So let’s look at a few ways to work toward early literacy in everyday life.
Talking Together
If we want our kids to value language and words, let’s use our own language and words in the best ways! Conversations are the foundation of early literacy. Whether you’re buckling car seats, chopping vegetables, or walking to the park, talk about what you see and what you’re doing. And then ask open-ended questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “How did that make you feel?” The back-and-forth of everyday conversation builds our kids’ vocabulary, comprehension, and confidence.
Read Everywhere
While story time is a special part of the day, literacy doesn’t have to stop at bedtime books. We can point out words on street signs, store windows, or menus. And books don’t have to stay tucked away for bedtime. It’s great to keep a small basket of books in the car or in the living room or near the breakfast table. The more children see print as they page through books, the more natural reading will feel. And it’s so much better for our kids’ minds to pick up a nearby book than to stare at a screen. Paging through picture books is a great way to encourage early literacy in everyday life.
Play With Words
We’ve talked about this recently, but it applies here too. Songs, rhymes, and silly word games help children hear the rhythm and patterns of language. Try clapping to the beat of a nursery rhyme or making up a nonsense song while going about your day. Preschoolers love silliness and repetition. And this word play can help them remember new words or sounds. It’s a super fun way to sneak some training for early literacy into everyday life.
Let Them See You Read
Getting into a book can be a challenge for many adults today. Our phones change the way our brains process information. Reading books can seem uninteresting after a lot of phone usage. But our children are always watching, and when they see us reading, they are much more likely to pick up a book too. It takes some discipline if you haven’t read for a while, but it really is fun to all cuddle up on the sofa to read (or just look at) our own books.
Always Celebrate
As we make these efforts to help our kids with early literacy, let’s remember that it’s a journey, not a race. Early literacy work is about building the skills our kids need to be able to recognize letters and their sounds. It doesn’t mean they will know them overnight. Your child may not recognize every letter yet, and that’s OK. The point of early literacy in everyday life is to build positive associations with language. So let’s praise our kids for their curiosity, let’s listen to them in our fun conversations, and let’s fill their days with words and fun.
Everyday moments add up. When we sneak literacy into play, conversation, and family life, we’re not just preparing our preschoolers to read. We’re helping them develop imagination, communication skills, and a willingness to keep on learning.
While reading is so good for us and our kids, screens are a part of our world that isn’t going away. So if we are going to use screen time, let’s make it valuable too. At My Signing Time, it’s always learning time even though it’s also always silly time. And our kids are safe in the My Signing Time app, because there are never ads. The only thing to click on is more educational fun!
What ways will you find to get some early literacy into everyday life?