Doin’ it Right Checklist Helps Parents Nurture Children’s Literacy Skills

My Canada A.M. Checklist:

• Brew coffee

• Feed cats

• Spread toast generously with peanut butter

• Wait for caffeine to kick in

Checklists - such useful tools. They do everything from help us refresh depleted first aid kits, to match our interests and abilities with jobs, to flag speech concerns in young children. Checklists help us feel confident that we haven’t missed bringing, doing or knowing something important.If you are a parent, grandparent or caregiver of an infant or young child, this checklist is for you. This “Doin’ it Right” checklist highlights ways you are already helping your child develop valuable reading and writing skills.

Doin’ it Right Checklist:

Help children understand that print has meaning:

• My child sees me reading newspapers, magazines, recipes, books or e-readers.

• My child sees me write messages, notes, emails or shopping lists.

• My child and I read books together daily.

• My child’s drawings or scribbles are displayed on the fridge with my child’s name or a few words to describe it.

Help children link spoken words with print:

• I encourage my child to ask questions and talk about the pictures or ideas in books we’re reading together.

• I help my child feel beats and syllables in words by swaying, clapping, or dancing to the rhythm in poetry, songs or simple rhyming books.

• I emphasize similar sounds in words through tongue twisters and rhymes, or by pausing for my child to fill in the missing word at the end of a sentence in familiar rhyming books.

• I sometimes run my finger under the words on the page as I read aloud.

• We search for words that share the same beginning sound as my child’s name in books, store and traffic signs.

• We look for alphabet letters or numbers we can identify on household things like clothing, cracker or cereal boxes, bathroom scales or clocks.

Help children develop hand control and skills for writing:

• I provide drawing, writing and craft materials throughout our home (e.g. playdough in the kitchen; soap crayons in the bathroom, scissors and markers in play space)

• I encourage my child to draw and write during playtimes (e.g. make traffic signs for toy cars or tricycles; write prescriptions, draw restaurant menus or cut paper into movie passes during make- believe play)

• I write my child’s name in highlighter for my child to trace over with dark marker or pencil.

Motivate children to read:

• I encourage my child to choose the book, hold the book and turn its pages during story time.

• I provide a variety of books that include stories, informational text, concepts and rhymes.

• I read aloud slowly with expression in my face and voice.

• We talk about the pictures, how the character feels or the meaning of a new word during story time.

• We read the same book many, many times, if my child asks.

• We visit the library regularly.

Doin’ it right?

• I sure am!

• I sure will!

Susan Ramsay is the Early Literacy Specialist for Hastings, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington. You can contact her at 613-354-6318 (ext 32)