BEST PRACTICE
Fundamentals of early literacy
We look at the principles underpinning reading from birth to five, including ways to encourage enthusiasm, imagination and comprehension
Getting little ones started on the reading journey is both daunting and exciting. On the one hand, we all know how tricky the different early steps can be – particularly once children start getting to the phonics stage. But on the other hand, the fictional worlds that books open up stimulate the imagination and are, for many, a worthwhile, lifelong payoff.
But though many look at comprehension and phonics as the basis of all reading, one especially important factor that’s often overlooked is enjoyment. Without a base of enjoyment and enthusiasm for books – and being read to – reading can become tedious and difficult for little ones. Props, wordless picture books and story boxes are excellent ‘tools’ here, as is your voice! Remember to include character voices and change intonation throughout, as well, to inspire little listeners.
So, what can you do to help a love of books flourish and establish the fundamentals of reading?
Offer choice!
Part of the allure of toys, handheld devices and television is the opportunity children have to be in control of their own decisions. After all, we all like to be given some free will in our day, right?
This should extend to the reading choices in your setting, and for story time. Now, offering children the run of your entire book selection is going to create a lot of enthusiasm, but if you were to choose a small selection of books that match the children’s interests from your shelves and offer children (either individually or as a whole group) those as options, you can generate enthusiasm while allowing the children some autonomy.
Repetition is key
There’s a reason that familiar tales and rhymes form such a core part of children’s books – because repetition is proven to aid memory and recall.
Not only does the repetitive nature of the language help build little ones’ familiarity with a wider range of vocabulary, but it can also help them begin to recognise contextual meaning, especially if you talk together as you go!
What’s more, this helps with book choices and, each read-through, children experience or see something new. Even if you read the same book together the day before, and the day before that, the repetition of a familiar story – allowing the children opportunities to share what’s coming up, repeat words and phrases used, to talk about their feelings, or explain the pictures to you – helps their overall sense of confidence and security, while also building memory retention.
Let them lead the way
Aligning your setting with the range of cultures, lifestyles, family structures, and interests of the children is a key way to help them feel represented in your setting. It also allows a growth of confidence, as they can link their experiences to or suggest certain books that are available to them to share more about themselves and their lives with others.
Giving choice and variety will inspire the children, meaning that even the most unenthusiastic of little readers will come to life!
Embrace engagement
While sharing familiar and/or repeated stories together, you may find that the children want to read along with you – perhaps they suggest what the next sentence will be? Or maybe they call out a repeated word or phrase as it crops up? Our first instinct is often to correct any mistakes, whether pronunciation or of the actual words used. However, the more frequently this happens in early book sharing and storytelling, the more likely children are to lose confidence with books or stop enjoying them as much.
So, try to keep corrections to a minimum simply repeating correct pronunciations where mispronunciations crop up.
Remember that the aim with little ones is to build a lifelong love of reading!
Model reading!
Most important to remember is that children learn lots from observing the world around them, including people’s attitudes to different things. If grown-ups at home and in the setting tend not to read (or seem to not enjoy reading), children will pick this up very quickly – and they’re then more likely to adopt this mindset!
A good idea to model positive attitudes towards books is to maybe keep one in your bag you can ‘accidentally’ show them or be seen reading as often as possible. You can also model conversations with other adults and children about the book you’re currently reading or one that you’ve particularly enjoyed!
Whichever way you choose, remember that fostering a love of books among the children in your setting means showing them your love for them.
Under 5 magazine
The magazine of the Early Years Alliance