Emerging Literacy

I Can “Read”!

Emergent or emerging literacy involves how your child interacts with books and when reading and writing, even though your child cannot yet read and write in the standard sense.

Activity

Take a moment and have your child sit with you on the couch. Get comfy. Read this little rhyme to your child while you wiggle each one of his fingers or toes. “This Little Piggy”: This little piggy went to market. This little piggy stayed home. This piggy had roast beef. This little piggy had none. And this little piggy cried, “Wee! Wee! Wee!” all the way home.

Insight

The rhyme “This Little Piggy” allows your child to play with repetition and language sounds such as “wee.” Sharing “This Little Piggy” and other nursery rhymes and nursery songs supports emergent literacy.

Emerging literacy refers to your child’s knowledge of reading and writing skills before he actually learns how to read and write words. Emergent literacy involves the process of being literate.

Nursery rhymes are short and have a repetition of sounds and words in attractive, easy-to-copy rhythms. Rhymes are important because parents and children can say them at any time and in any place.

Rhymes need no toys or even a book; they depend on the sound of the voice. And you can practice them in the car, at the store, or on the playground. By playing with rhymes, your child will discover how language works and become familiar with the relationship between sounds and letters, which helps when he begins to read. The good news is that adults can have fun with rhymes and rhyming stories as well.

When introducing rhymes, use popular rhyming books, then let your child explore the pages. Use exaggerated speech to make the words come alive. Add music if you have it, and you can sing rhyming songs together.