Enhancing Early Literacy Skills

Raising a reader starts much earlier than you may think!  The earlier you bring the wonder of books into your child’s life, the sooner you will be working on their early literacy skills. Over time, you will notice that your child begins to interact more with text through eye tracking, pointing and making sounds, comments or questions (depending on age).  By the age of 3 or 4 your child will begin to understand that print carries a message.  
 
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault, is a great story to encourage your child to get involved while you read aloud.  Children LOVE the repetition of re-reading this story and there is even a fun song to go along too (see video above)! Start by pointing to each letter as you read. After doing so in a few different reading sessions, ask your child to point with you.  Soon, your child will be leading the charge and identifying new letters each time you read!