Activities that can Promote Literacy in Preschoolers

Your preschooler is at an age, where he is expected to be able to use basic literacy skills in his every day activities. This article discusses the various ways in which you can help your preschooler hone these skills to the fullest.

Your little one is now a preschooler and would need to have a grasp of basic literacy skills like reading, writing, drawing, language comprehension, music etc. You, as parents are your child’s first teachers. Ensure that you consciously take out the time daily, to engage your child in activities that will help him polish his literacy skills.

Language and Talking Skills

Having strong language skills will help your preschooler pick up other literacy skills very easily. It will also makes him more confident about expressing himself. The more your child is exposed to letters and the written word the stronger his language skills tend to be.
Make learning and practicing alphabets a fun activity. Do not restrict your child to books and pencils. You can try alphabet cookie cutters or magnetic alphabets to help your child get a grasp of the alphabets. Use every possible opportunity to help him strengthen his vocabulary. Use a boring car ride to play simple word building games or even a game of ‘I spy’, where your child has to point out at an object starting with an alphabet you say.

Introduce a new letter every week and do activities revolving around that letter that week. For instance, if your child is learning the alphabet ‘B’, the games should involve the letter B. Choose story books that stresses on teaching phonetics.
Encourage your child to speak to you about various things, like the things around him, his day at school or friends. This will help him put his feelings into words and improve his language skills dramatically. Pretend play (like doctor doctor) is a good medium to develop language skills. Your child is forced to respond to your queries and communicate back to take the game forward

Reading and Writing Skills

Your preschooler would have in all probability started writing alphabets and would be progressing to small words. Writing is a skill that requires practice. So carve out some time daily to help your child practice her writing skills. You need not confine him to his note books and pencils. Create some interesting activities where writing is involved. You could make out a shopping list with your child and ask him to write the easier ones. So if your child wants a toy, ask him to include it in your list. This will make him feel important and help him enjoy the activity as well.

Leave little notes for him in simple words, in random places, like on his pillow in his toy basket, or even his school bag. This will encourage him to try reading it on his own and he may even try to write back. Start reading to your child as early as possible and ensure that you weave some reading time into his daily routine. It can even be as little as 15 minutes. The key here is to be consistent and get him interested in reading.

Let him choose what book he wants to read. Take him to your local library and let him choose the books he wants to take home. Having a subject of interest will encourage him to read the book. Make your child tell you the story you have read to him in his own words, so that you can be assured that he has understood what was read out to him. Ask him to read the smaller words in the story book.

The most important thing to remember as parents is that these skills need to be developed properly, in order for your child to do well in life at all stages. Find time every day to create fun and interesting activities that will promote literacy in your preschooler.