Dear Teachers,

Many parents want to help their children with beginning reading, but do not know how or understand the developmental sequence for literacy. You can help them with some of the following activities and reminders. Please remind parents that early literacy focuses on the following:

Learning to listen to directions and conversations
Beginning to hear the sounds that words and letters make
Speaking in his or her home language to communicate with others
Enjoying looking at and listening to books
Showing understanding of a story read aloud by asking questions and making comments
Starting to recognize letters
Attempting to scribble or write letters and words

Tips to share with parents:

• Sing the ABC’s song.

• Play with alphabet puzzles and read alphabet books.

• Learn the letters in your child’s name.

• Point out letters as you read and write or on cereal boxes and in other places in your daily lives.

• Respond to your child’s interest and questions about letters.

• Play with the sounds of language.

• Make up rhymes. Sing silly songs.

• Talk about the sounds that letters make as you read and converse.

Worksheets or drill activities are not developmentally appropriate at the preschool age unless your child initiates them and enjoys them.
Drilling your child on tracing shapes, letters or wiring on lined paper are not developmentally appropriate at the preschool age unless your child initiates it enjoys it.