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By Dana Brumm, Curriculum Specialist for Ebenezer Child Care Centers
The interactions that young children have with literacy materials such as books, paper, and crayons and with the adults in their lives are the building blocks for language, reading and writing development. A lot of fun activities can help infants be prepared for reading, writing, and other literacy experiences as they grow and develop. Here are some ways our teachers are promoting pre-literacy opportunities for your child.
Pre-emergent writing
Before young children are able to hold a writing utensil, they use their fingers to draw or “write.” Our babies are running their fingers through gooey substances or squishing pudding between their fingers building manual dexterity. These new skills sure make play time even more fun! The teachers watch the babies grow more independent and increasingly confident as they master small motor skills to develop the building blocks for beginning writing.
Infant Scribbling
Crayons, markers or other writing instruments that are easy for infants to grasp and hold work best. Making marks and scribbling come naturally to most children.
Book Handling Behaviors
These behaviors are related to a child’s physical manipulation or handling of books, such as page turning and chewing.
