our friends at leap street have a love for paving the way of learning, right from birth. they are a collective of educators and child learning experts based in melbourne, who take a science-based approach to early learning. we love their ethos of "putting your best feet forward" and asked them for tips on how our jnr.community can too foster a (early) love of literacy in their own homes.

early exposure to literacy provides your children with the skills and knowledge they need to develop a love of learning. literacy skills encompass the ability to listen, interact with others, express thoughts, present ideas, make meaning (comprehend) and communicate with others.

literacy learning begins at birth. studies have shown that children who are exposed to books and other forms of literacy at an early age develop better language skills and have a greater capacity for learning. these children are better equipped to understand and interpret the world around them. it is never too early to expose your child to literacy and start fostering a love of learning.  

ways you can incorporate literacy into your everyday at home.

read to your children regularly.

this is one of the most effective ways to introduce children to literacy. start by reading simple picture books and gradually progress to more complex stories as their comprehension improve. while reading, discuss the story, pointing out any new words to enrich their vocabulary. reading to your child models fluency and expression and is a valuable way of bonding with them.  

nursery rhymes

nursery rhymes offer a variety of benefits in developing literacy skills in young children. they help children develop phonological awareness, which is the ability to hear and manipulate the sounds in words. many nursery rhymes contain words that are not commonly used in everyday language, exposing children to new vocabulary. repeating and singing nursery rhymes helps children develop their memory and recall skills. nursery rhymes can help prepare children for reading by introducing them to the concept of rhyme, rhythm, and repetition, which are important elements of language.

games

games are a wonderful way to introduce literacy skills in a fun and playful manner. play language games such as bingo, scrabble and pictionary. talk about letters and sounds in the environment. help to develop a curiosity about language and the sounds within words by playing word and sound games such as ‘i spy’. if your child has started to learn the sounds for the letters, help them to revise them by pointing out objects that start with those letter sounds and ask your child to think of things that begin with that sound e.g., ‘m’ for ‘mug’.

fine motor skills

fine motor skills are an important part of early literacy development. the ability to hold and manipulate a pencil requires fine motor skills. children who can manipulate small objects such as beads or pegs with their fingers are more likely to be able to recognize and distinguish between letters. fine motor skills are also essential for hand-eye coordination. activities you can do at home to help your child with fine motor skills include helping with meal preparation (spreading with a knife, cracking an egg), creating using playdoh, pegging items on the clothesline, folding clothes, and using scissors to cut paper.

early exposure to literacy will give your child the skills needed to become successful readers, writers and communicators, whilst also developing a lifelong love of learning.

to learn more about fostering & supporting literacy development in your own home, visit leap street