Literacy for Babies

Carla Mason

Early Literacy

• Early literacy is everything children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write

• Early Literacy is more that just books

• Early literacy does not mean teaching reading to infants and toddlers

• Learning to read is a fluid process that begins at birth

Early literacy

Literacy begins on the lap of a loved parent or caregiver. As you sing, rhyme, and tell stories, babies develop listening skills and an interest in and love of words (“Zero to Three Literacy”)

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First Steps to Developing Literacy

Book-handling—touching or handling books, playing with books. 

Looking and recognizing (a picture, character or scene). 

Understanding pictures and stories. 

Story-reading behaviors. 

Encouraging Literacy Development

Keep it short

Repetition is key

Express yourself

Let baby explore

Provide appropriate resources

Reading Milestones

Birth – Toddlers

Birth to 6 Months Old Listener, Observer, Cooer

Lullabies and nursery rhymes are first stories

Begins to recognize a song or rhyme if repeated often

By 4 months begins to show interest in books

Needs sturdy vinyl or cloth books

6 to 12 Months Old

Cooer, Babbler• .

More interested in the story

Promote interest by looking at books and talking about the pictures

Invite 8- or 9-month-old baby to turn the pages

Introduce objects and pair with words

12 to 18 Months Old

Word Maker

Enjoys reading with adults

Turns pages and names pictures of familiar objects

Interested in books which they can touch and sniff

Toddlers

Phrase Maker Will invite others to

read to them

Show preferences and will ask to have books read over and over

May use “storybook language” in everyday conversations

Advantages of Reading to Babies

Reading……

Promotes bonding

Stimulates the brain

Promotes listening

Increases vocabulary

Develops literacy fundamentals

Helps word meaning

Develops attention span

Develops concept of print

Instills love of reading

Increases knowledge of the world (“Readtoyourbaby”)

Building Blocks for

Literacy Skills

Print motivation

Print awareness

Letter knowledge

Phonological awareness

Narrative skills

Vocabulary (“icpl”)

What Research Says

Early Language & Literacy Development

Brain Development

Play-Based Learning

Oral Language

Literacy at Home

(“Babyconnections”)

References

•Babies > Emergent Literacy - Grow Up Reading•www.growupreading.org/babies/index.php?section=120

•Babies Love Books: Early Literacy•www.babieslovebooks.org/early-literacy.html

•Early literacy: birth to six | Multnomah County Library•https://multcolib.org/birthtosix

•Early Literacy | United for Libraries•www.ala.org › UNITED › Products & Services › Books for Babies

•50 Literacy Activities for Babies - Room to Grow: Making Early ...•earlyliteracycounts.blogspot.com/.../50-literacy-activities-for-babies.h...

•How to Create a Literate Home: Baby and Toddler . Reading ... - PBS•www.pbs.org/.../how-to-create-a-literate-home-baby-and-toddler/

•ICPL - KidSpace: Early Literacy•www.icpl.org/kids/early-literacy.php

References Continued

•Literacy Development For Babies | LIVESTRONG.COM•www.livestrong.com › ... › Literacy Development for Babies

•Play and literacy for babies and toddlers | The Monkey Speaks•themonkeyspeaks.wordpress.com/.../play-and-literacy-for-babies-and...

•Raise a Baby Bookworm - Parenting.com•www.parenting.com/article/raise-a-baby-bookworm

•Read, speak, sing to your baby: How parents can promote literacy ...•www.caringforkids.cps.ca › Home › Pregnancy & Babies

•Read To Your Baby - Reading Tips, Literacy Begins at Birth•www.readtoyourbaby.com/read_literacy.html

•What is Early Literacy? - Baby Connections•www.babyconnections.ca/what-is-early-literacy.html

•ZERO TO THREE: Early Literacy Skills from Birth to 12 Months•www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_par...literacy