Early Literacy does not mean early reading. Children are not expected to read and write at adult literacy levels. Instead Early Literacy is the overall love of books and the ability to enjoy the overall experience of books. While toddlers and infants can not sit down and recite the words of books verbatim they are learning in the way that is meant for them to learn.
I am thrilled to hear my daughter shouting “Book! Book!” because she wants me to read her Goodnight Moon, her favorite book. It lets me know that I am doing the right thing and that she enjoys sitting down with a book. She even picks up books and points to the pictures on her own and babbles along with the images. It’s exactly what I wanted to happen and I am so happy she enjoys reading.
I found this excellent pamphlet on-line and thought I would share it.
I will provide excerpts from the article below, but the article can be found in its entirety at the above link.
What Young Children Like in Books (Source: ZerotoThree.org)
Infants 0-6 months
• Books with simple, large pictures or designs with bright colors.
• Stiff cardboard, “chunky” books, or fold out books that can be propped up in the crib.
• Cloth and soft vinyl books with simple pictures of people or familiar objects that can go in the bath or get washed.
Infants 6-12 months
• Board books with photos of other babies.
• Brightly colored “chunky” board books to touch and taste!
• Books with photos of familiar objects like balls and bottles.
• Books with sturdy pages that can be propped up or spread out in the crib or on a blanket.
• Plastic/vinyl books for bath time.
• Washable cloth books to cuddle and mouth.
• Small plastic photo albums of family and friends.
Young Toddlers 12-24 months
• Sturdy board books that they can carry.
• Books with photos of children doing familiar things like sleeping or playing.
• Goodnight books for bed time.
• Books about saying hello and good-bye.
• Books with only a few words on each page.
• Books with simple rhymes or predictable text.
• Animal books of all sizes and shapes.
Toddlers 2-3 years
• Books that tell simple stories.
• Simple rhyming books that they can memorize.
• Bed time books.
• Books about counting, the alphabet, shapes, or sizes.
• Animal books, vehicle books, books about playtime.
• Books with their favorite TV characters inside.
• Books about saying hello and good-bye.
Zero to Three is an excellent website with tons of resources for all types of issues. I would suggest taking a moment to visit and look around. In addition to this wonderful pamphlet there is a Q & A section as well as Early Literacy Tips and Tools.
The below books have been chosen to specifically address the topic above. I would strongly suggest clicking on the images to view the summary. They are excellent books that address all types of Early Literacy concerns.
