Promoting literacy
in your child-care program
Besides
parents and siblings, child-care providers are the ones who spend the
most time with children ages 0 to 5. Parents and providers should work
together to ensure that child-care environmenta are conducive to building
literacy and language skills. The National Network for Child Care advocates
six ways to do this by asking and answering the following questions:
Is your child-care
environment "print-rich?"
Are
there a lot of materials and areas set up for children to experiment
with letters, words and numbers? Materials can include books for children
of all ages, labels for children to see and read, newspapers, magazines,
crayons, pencils, all kinds of paper, envelopes, chalkboards, magnetic
or stamp-block letters, typewriters, notes written to children, cooking
and science recipes for children to use, lists for grocery shopping,
directions for children to refer to in an obstacle course, and graphs
to read.
Do children have
lots of opportunities to use print materials in a meaningful way?
Are
there planned activities each day that promote reading and using printed
materials? These can include adults reading books to children, children
reading on their own, children reading to other children and adults,
reading recipes during cooking activities, writing and reading letters
in a post office drama, and making menus for a restaurant dramatic play
activity. Other planned activities can include making holiday cards
and get-well cards, and writing thank-you notes. Playing cards or board
games, journal writing, and making personal dictionaries are fun and
educational activities to plan.
Do you model reading
and writing in real-life situations?
Remember
to read labels, instructions and packages to children. Write reminder
notes to them about upcoming field trips. And show that you value books
by using the library often, taking good care of books and sharing your
enjoyment of good children's books and adult literature.
Are there daily
opportunities for extended and meaningful conversations?
Meaningful
conversation among children and between adults and children can take
place during meals, after walks, and after watching a movie together.
It's important to discuss activities as a way of building literacy and
language skills.
Are there regular
opportunities for the creative use of language?
Do
you make time to sing songs with silly words, use rhymes and riddles,
create stories using puppets or a flannel board or put on skits? Finding
creative ways to use language can be more engaging for young children
than routine activities.
Do you help children
make the connection between letters and words?
You
can help children understand the rules that govern our printed language
by building on what they already know. For example, you can point out
that a STOP sign begins with the same letter as Sam's name, that the
words "go" and "no" sound alike, and that ChelseaÌs
name begins with the same sound as the word "cheese."
The
National Network for Child Care shares knowledge about children's development
from the nation's leading universities through the outreach system of
Cooperative Extension.The extensive web site (www.nncc.org) is easy
to navigate and contains practical information for families and professionals.
Reprinted
with permission from the National Network for Child Care – NNCC.
Patten, P. (1993). "Promoting literacy in your childcare program."
In Todd, C.M. (Ed.), Day care center connections, 3 (1), pp. 1-2. Urbana-Champaign,
IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service.
