Building a Love of Literacy at Every Age
Foster a lifelong love of reading and writing with these tips.
All children develop at their own pace, but here are some tips to build a love of reading and writing at every age.
Zero- to two-year-olds
- Read aloud together every day. It’s never too early! Babies may want to play with the pages while toddlers may want you to read the same story over and over again. Point to and name the pictures.
- Point out and read words all around you. They’re everywhere—on street signs, storefronts, cereal boxes, and magazines.
- Encourage them to scribble freely. Over time, you can give your child a chunky crayon. He’ll be delighted to see that he can use it to scribble on paper!
Two- and three-year-olds
- Listen and respond lovingly to what toddlers say.
- Point to and name letters, words, and objects around you.
- Make up fun songs using rhyming words and melodies.
- Allow them to read the same book over and over.
- Motivate them to draw or scribble and tell you about what they’ve drawn.
Three- and four-year-olds
- Keep writing supplies handy.
- Explain new words in stories.
- Play with rhyming words.
- Write down the stories they tell about their drawings and read them together.
- Begin visiting the library regularly.
Four- and five-year-olds
- Label things with their names and help them write their own names.
- Help them recognize the letters in their names, and point them out when you see them in books or on signs.
- Encourage them to tell their own stories. You can write them down and invite them to draw pictures to go with the words. Then you can read them again and again together.
- Point out letters and words in signs.
- Get them their own library card.
Creating Alphabet-Rich Environments
Alphabet recognition involves learning the names, shapes, and sounds of the letters in the alphabet, and it helps get kids ready for phonics learning. There are so many ways to introduce the alphabet to young children. Adding a little alphabet magic to your environment can be a great place to start.
Building and Rebuilding Language Skills—and Community!
An article about building children’s language skills by enriching your interactions.
Abby’s Letter Garden
Prepare children for school success by exposing them to uppercase letters, helping them recognize them, and write them themselves.
Terry Crews Is an Artist
Terry Crews, Count, and Abby talk about the word “artist.”
Alphabet Art
Alphabet art is a fun, hands-on way to help kids recognize the shapes of letters. It can also provide an opportunity to layer in learning across subjects. Watch this video and think of ways you might incorporate letter crafts into your work with kids and families.
I Know My Letters
A printable alphabet coloring page.
Building a Reader
An interactive course that explores key literacy goals, strategies, and activities to support learning around language and literacy in children ages 2-5.
