What is literacy?

Literacy means being able to read and write. 

A child's reading skills are important to their success in school and work. In addition, reading can be a fun and imaginative activity for children, which opens doors to all kinds of new worlds for them.  Reading and writing are important ways we use language to communicate.

For an answer to this question, check out the following link:

• Language and Literacy Development from birth to five years—this helpful brochure from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association tells you what to expect and how to help.

Research has identified five early reading skills that are all essential.  They are [1]:

• Phonemic awareness—Being able to hear, identify, and play with individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words.
• Phonics—Being able to connect the letters of written language with the sounds of spoken language.
• Vocabulary—The words kids need to know to communicate effectively.
• Reading comprehension—Being able to understand and get meaning from what has been read.
• Fluency (oral reading)—Being able to read text accurately and quickly.

Parents play a critical role in helping their children develop not only the ability to read, but also an enjoyment of reading.

• Turn off the tube.  Start by limiting your family’s television viewing time. 
• Teach by example.  If you have books, newspapers and magazines around your house, and your child sees you reading, then your child will learn that you value reading.  You can’t over-estimate the value of modeling. 
• Read together.  Reading with your child is a great activity.  It not only teaches your child that reading is important to you, but it also offers a chance to talk about the book, and often other issues will come up.  Books can really open the lines of communication between parent and child. 
• Hit the library.  Try finding library books about current issues or interests in your family’s or child’s life, and then reading them together.  For example, read a book about going to the dentist prior to your child’s next dental exam, or get some books about seashore life after a trip to the coast.  If your child is obsessed with dragons, ask your librarian to recommend a good dragon novel for your child.

There are many ways to include reading in your child's life, starting in babyhood, and continuing through the teen years.  Focus on literacy activities that your child enjoys, so that reading is a treat, not a chore.

How do you read to a baby?

• Use small, chunky board books that your baby can easily hold onto.
• Talk about the pictures with your little one.
• Sing the text to keep baby's attention.
• Play peek-a-boo with lift-the-flap books.
• Help your baby touch and feel in texture books.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends daily reading to children beginning by six months of age.

Where can I get ideas and resources for fun reading and literacy activities?

• Suggested Reading Activities—a quick list arranged by age group.
• Ready—Set—Read for families has lots of activities and ideas grouped by age group that you can use to help your young child (birth to age 5) learn about language and get ready to read.
• Get Ready to Read! activity cards and online games for toddlers and preschoolers.
• Reading Planet is a fun website for school-aged kids from Reading is Fundamental.
• Search for activities from Reading is Fundamental.  You can search by age group and type of activity.
• Reading Rockets offers information and resources for families and professionals.
• İColorín Colorado! is part of Reading Rockets, and offers information, activities and advice for Spanish-speaking parents and educators of English language learners. 
• Tips for choosing books your child will like at different ages and stages, infant through age five.
• Reading tips for parents.
• Tips on telling and reading stories to your child
• Using the library
• More on libraries and kids, from babies through teens

What if my child is having trouble with reading?

Some children have difficulty learning to read.  You may hear from a teacher that your child has difficulty with language, or you may have noticed some difficulties that your child has. When reading and language difficulties are identified, special teaching can be given to help your child reach their full potential.  Here are some resources:

• YourChild:  Dyslexia and Reading Problemsand YourChild:  Learning Disabilities have information about reading problems and how to help your child.
• If you think there’s a problem:  Helping your child become a reader—from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Strategies to Help Kids Who Struggle from Reading Rockets.
• Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, is an online book from the National Academies of Science (NAS).
• Starting Out Right:  A Guide to Promoting Children’s Reading Success is also from the NAS.

If you have questions about your child's ability to use language or read, please ask your pediatrician or school system to check that part of your child's learning.

What about parents who have trouble reading?  

Just as some kids have trouble reading, some adults do, too—or may have never learned to read at all.  In fact, one in five adults has real trouble reading.

Is there an adult or family literacy program near me?
There are many places for adults to find help. If you or a parent you know needs to learn to read better, here's how to find a nearby literacy program:

• To find a program in your area, go to America's Literacy Directory, or call the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) Hotline at 1-800-228-8813 to speak with an English- or Spanish-speaking operator, or call 1-800-552-9097 TTD.
• Find your state literacy hotlines and contacts.
• Check with a neighborhood library, community college, or city or county human services office, or contact your state's Director of Adult Education to find out about other programs.
• To get help with your reading or writing skills, or to learn English, search for a volunteer tutor program in your area.
• For family literacy programs, contact the Even Start office in your state or the National Center for Family Literacy, whose infoline is 877-FAMLIT-1.  Find a program near you.

Where can I find other resources related to kids and reading?

• The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease.
  A great book that looks at the research on reading and tells parents and educators what they need to know about reading aloud to kids. It includes all kinds of specific tips and strategies that you can start using right away, and a giant annotated list of recommended read-aloud books. A super way to get started with making books an important part of family life.
• Get Ready to Read is a national campaign to build the early literacy skills of preschool children. The campaign brings all kinds of resources—including a screening tool and skill-building activities to parents and early childhood teachers and caregivers for helping prepare children to learn to read and write.
• Helping Your Child Become a Reader (also in Spanish) from the US Department of Education.
• Books, magazines, software and websites to promote reading—a list of resources from the U.S. Department of Education.  Books are grouped by type and intended age group.
• Choosing a children’s book—from the Children’s Book Council
• 75 authors and illustrators everyone should know—grouped by age group, for preschoolers to age eight.
• Reach Out and Read (ROR) programs seek to make early literacy a standard part of pediatric primary care. By following the ROR model, physicians and nurses counsel parents that reading aloud is the most important thing they can do to help their children love books and to start school ready to learn.
• Teaching Reading IS Rocket Science:  What Expert Teachers of Reading Should Know and Be Able To Do.  This is a booklet from the American Federation of Teachers that puts forth a roadmap for preparing teachers to teach children to read based on scientific research.
• The Clearinghouse on Reading, English & Communication at the Indiana University School of Education provides educational materials, services and coursework to everyone interested in language arts.
• Literacy Resource Guide for Families and Educators contains information on major national research studies and literacy resources.  It lists practical, helpful publications and ordering information.

Citations:

[1] Vohs JR, Romano CA, eds.  Literacy Resource Guide for Families and Educators.  Boston: Federation for Children with Special Needs; 2003.  Available at:  http://pplace.org/lit-guide7-71.pdf.

Other References:

High PC, LaGasse L, Becker S, Ahlgren I, and Gardner A. Literacy promotion in primary care pediatrics: can we make a difference? Pediatrics, 105(4): 927-34, 2000.

Shaywitz SE. Science informing policy: The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development's contribution to reading. Pediatrics, 109(3): 519-21, 2002.

Trelease, J. The read-aloud handbook, 5th ed. New York: Penguin Books; 2001.

Written and compiled by Kyla Boyse, R.N.  Reviewed by faculty and staff at the University of Michigan

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The information and links we provide are reviewed by University of Michigan developmental and behavioral pediatricians and child psychologists who are experts in child behavioral health. In choosing the links we provide, we use strict criteria to ensure that the information is accurate, and the source is reputable. As much as possible, we focus on information that is based on research. In areas where there is inadequate research, we include information compatible with prevailing expert opinion.

This website is updated regularly, but because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, we cannot be responsible for misinformation that may be accessed through the links provided. As always, this website is not a tool for self-diagnosis, and is not a substitute for professional care.

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