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Creating a Literacy-Rich Environment at Home

Posted: March 15, 2024

Child sitting in chair looking at a book

Creating a Literacy-Rich Environment at Home

Growing up, literacy was always accessible and visible in our home. My parents, older sister and brother were great role models for me. I saw my parents read the newspaper every day. They read letters, magazines and cards that arrived in the mail. I saw my mom constantly writing “to do” lists, grocery lists, recipes to put in her cookbook. There was always paper, pencils, pens and crayons available for us to use. Being the youngest, I begged my sister constantly to read to me and lucky for me, she always obliged. My friends and I used a chalk board and chalk when we played “school”. We had a big atlas and a spinning globe that we could use to find out about the world. Encyclopedias and National Geographic magazines were at our disposal for school projects. I was truly blessed to have literacy so readily available.

Creating a literacy-rich environment at home for your child is a way to support their language and reading skills. When your child’s daily life is filled with books and language activities, they develop a strong foundation for literacy. Don’t wait until your child is heading to school – simple literacy activities such as singing a nursery rhyme or sharing a book with your baby is a great start. As your child grows and develops new skills, just add more activities. Check out your local library for books and literacy kits to borrow.

To design a literacy-rich environment at home, consider including some of the following ideas:

• Offer age appropriate and engaging books and other reading material. Have them in every room and within your child’s reach. Use small baskets or other containers to display them. Use cloth books for babies, waterproof books in the bathtub. Non-fiction books are important too!

• Create an inviting reading nook. Place a few comfy pillows, a stuffie and a blanket in a corner or use a special comfy chair. Nothing beats snuggling up and reading a good book!

• Use a small table and chair to create a writing/drawing centre. Have paper, crayons and markers available (you can keep these items tucked away until you have the time to supervise your child) as dots, marks and scribbles are an important part of your child’s writing journey.

• Include literacy play objects such as fridge magnet letters, alphabet blocks and puzzles. When outdoors, use sticks to trace alphabet letters in the dirt,sand or mud.

• Children love their names! Have their name displayed in print around the house. Point out each letter, say the name of the letter as well as the sound it makes. Point out letters on cereal boxes, juice cartons, cracker bags, etc. and compare which letters are in their name and which ones are not.

• Use books and written materials during your daily activities. Point out print that is already present in your home – on grocery lists, food boxes and household items. Put simple labels with words on everyday objects to help your child connect spoken words to written ones. The more your child sees print, the better they will recognize and understand its meaning.

• Set aside time each day to read together with your child, such as after dinner or before bedtime. Reading stories out loud with your child promotes bonding, builds an understanding of how books work and exposes children to different stories and vocabulary. Read for as long as your child is interested. Even five minutes of quality time looking at and talking about the pictures in a book or finding all the words that start with the letter “S” supports your child’s literacy development.

When your child’s life is filled with books and language experiences, a strong early literacy foundation will begin building. You are your child’s first teacher and your home is one of the first environments where they can see and experience literacy each and every day.