Preparing for Early Literacy: Developmentally Appropriate Practice

Early Literacy Training - An Overview 

This course offers early literacy training and essential early literacy skills. It focuses on promoting these skills through play and developmentally appropriate activities. The course is nationally-accredited and regulatory approved. It provides guidelines for educators working with children under 8 years of age. This course will equip the preschoolers with early literacy skills like comprehension, vocabulary and phonemic awareness and prepare them better for elementary school.

Why Early Literacy Training is Crucial for Development

It helps the children to lay a strong foundation for their learning abilities and is crucial because: :

Builds Critical thinking

Activities like storytelling promote questioning and inculcate answer seeking abilities in their young minds children. This is why they start developing the ability to think critically.

Improves Language and Communication skills

Developing early literacy skills like reading helps children develop rich vocabulary. They learn the meaning of words and the context to use them appropriately not only while reading/writing but also during communication.

Social And Emotional Development

The activities like role play in skits and discussions help children better understand their feelings better. They foster empathy through live interaction and knowing about other people.

Academic Readiness

The early literacy training helps the children with various academic skills like comprehension, writing skills, cognitive development, maths and science skills encouraging the love of learning in them.

Develops Imagination and Creativity

It stimulates visual thinking skills and introduces them to a new world of adventures which inspires artistic expression in the children.

Key Early Literacy Skills Every Child Should Develop

There are a number of skills children can develop through this training. The key skills include: 

Phonological Awareness

Recognizing and practicing the sounds in words they hear and speak help children learn phonological awareness.

Listening Skills

Active listening of stories, instructions and conversations develop active listening skills which helps children to docus, pay attention and retrieve information.

Narrative/ Talking Skills

The ability to hold a conversation and describe events or stories help children organize their thoughts and communicate effectively.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding and comprehension of written words is an important skill the children learn in the early literacy training.

Writing and Drawing

Children learn to write letters, numbers and simple words. They also learn to draw and colour simple shapes like circles and squares.

How To Adapt Early LiteracyThrough Engaging Activities

Adapting the training through interesting activities ensures children are excited and motivated to learn. Here are some engaging activities:

Incorporating Play-Based Learning

Activities like word puzzles, alphabet matching games or story telling activities with props help combine play with learning.

Use Music and Rhymes

Use of music and musical instruments through songs, reciting nursery rhymes and playing rhythm-based games improve phonological awareness.

Read Aloud with Expression

Reading stories aloud with facial expressions and body movements will inculcate an expression of emotions in them.

Use Technology Thoughtfully

Leverage education through technology in the form of apps and interactive e-books that promotes early literacy skills.

Encourage Group Activities

Organize group storytime or literacy games to promote social interaction and collaborative learning.

Benefits Of Early Literacy Training For Educators and Parents

The training is not just beneficial for children but also helps parents, teachers and educators to develop essential skills for children development.

Enhanced Teaching Skills

The early literacy training will equip educators and teachers with strategies and resources to teach children necessary skills.

Fostering Positive Relationships

The activities conducted in the training encourages meaningful relationships between teachers and children.

Improved Communication

Training helps parents understand and communicate with their children better enabling them to communicate and share their thoughts effectively.

Better Student Outcomes

The course helps educators address diverse learning needs, ensuring all children develop essential literacy skills, leading to improved academic performance.

Stronger Parent-Child Bond

Engaging in literacy activities like reading aloud or storytelling strengthens the emotional connection between parents and their children.

Strategies To Promote Early Literacy At Home And In Class

Promoting early literacy skills and training at home  and in class might take some special strategies as follows:

Create a Reading-Friendly Environment

Develop an environment that encourages children to read with easy access to reading materials. Try to incorporate the reading habit yourself to motivate children.

Tell Stories And Play Pretend

Encourage children to make up stories or act out favorite books. Role-playing enhances narrative skills and creativity.

Play Word Games

Engage students with letter recognition, word-building games, and rhyming activities that make learning interactive and fun.

Foster Collaborative Learning

Try to involve children in group activities, peer sharing and collaborative story telling so that they can learn group work.

Use Everyday Moments For Literacy

Label items in home and surroundings to increase word recognition and encourage real life learning in them.

Tools and Resources For Building Early Literacy Skills

There are several tools and resources which can be used at home or in educational settings for early literacy training. 

Books and Reading materials

A variety of books including picture book, interactive book, E-books, audiobooks and story books in different languages along with other reading materials are a reliable resource.

Literacy Applications and Digital Tools

Many digital applications and tools are available on the internet for easy and interactive access to the training materials.

Learning Games and Toys

Board games, letter and word puzzles, story cubes and magnetic letters are fun ways to inculcate learning with games.

Educational Videos and Television Shows

Various videos and shows available online promote early literacy skills through interactive stories and games.

Printable Worksheet and Activities

Word searches, crosswords, alphabet tracing sheets and phonemic awareness worksheets increase the writing and drawing skills in children.