What is Early Literacy? Early Literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. Research shows that children get ready to read years before they start school. There are six early literacy skills that parents can incorporate into their children's daily life. These six skills are: Vocabulary, Print Motivation, Print Awareness, Narrative Skills, Phonological Awareness, and Letter Knowledge. More detailed information about these six skills is available at http://multcolib.org/birthtosix/elitskills.html/

You can help your baby, toddler and preschooler learn important skills now so they can become good readers. There are many simple and fun ways to do this. We invite you to bring your child to Library storytimes, which utilize research-based techniques to build early literacy skills. This newsletter will help you extend storytime benefits by including book-related fingerplays, crafts, and other activities.

This issue features the literacy skill known as vocabulary. Vocabulary is knowing the names of things, of feelings, concepts and ideas. A child who has a large vocabulary has a significant advantage in learning to read.

Read books with words not used in daily conversation as well as stories that highlight specific words. Non-fiction, fairy tales, and poetry are good choices for introducing new vocabulary. Here are some titles to help build vocabulary.

One day the sun was shining bright

Hold up right hand for sun

But clouds came along, it was dark as night

Hold up left hand for clouds

The rain began to sprinkle down

Wiggle both hands for rain coming down

But when the clouds had passed on by

Move both hands to the right

A beautiful rainbow stretched across the sky

Left hand makes arc over head from right to left

Here's a box with a surprise

Thumb inside fish

Someone is hiding deep inside

Cover fist with other hand for lid

Lift the lid, look in the top

Here comes a Jack-in-the-box!

Pop thumb out

Reserve this book