Linking literacy to books is a passion of mine (as you may have guessed) but so is learning to read.
The early years of any child’s life and then formal education are vital for building a love of literacy. If we miss those years children struggle through many areas of their lives as reading is such a big part of it!
Here are some simple ways you can start to build phonemic awareness in a fun way which involves books. No worksheets. No writing. No repetition. Just books and conversations!
- When you look at the front cover read it out loud. Read the authors name, illustrators name and perhaps even the blurb. Ask your child if they can think of another name that starts with the same sound as the authors first name. Start with the initial letter but if you child can do it, blend the first two letters and find names with that sound.
- As you read look for pictures that might look like letters – this can be lots of fun and can be done as you drive in the car or go for a play outside!
- If your child is a keen writer – write down their favourite words or sounds from the book. Stick these words on the wall and they can copy them or even make them out of blocks or shapes when the time suits them.
- Make up your own story together – write it down if you like and illustrate.
- Don’t just focus on home readers – make sure your children are reading books they choose for pleasure.
- You don’t always need to read books – try comics or magazines, non-fiction and audio books! . Exposure to different forms of literacy opens their mind and encourages passion from an early age.
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Let me know your thoughts!
