Understanding Literacy Development
If you missed our webinar hosted by MCareforkids, here’s a bite-sized summary of what we shared.
Four main components of literacy development.
All four components go hand in hand, contributing to holistic literacy development. It’s not solely about reading, phonics, or spelling.
Oral Language Development – Speaking & Listening
How we speak and use language depends on our environment, including what we listen to such as TV, videos, and daily conversations.
Early oral language development lays the foundation for a child’s future reading abilities and overall cognitive and emotional growth. By nurturing language skills in the formative years, we pave the way for enhanced comprehension, expression, and lifelong learning.
“What if I cannot speak the language, do I still try to speak with my child?” is a question we often receive from families who are not proficient in their English language. Our suggestion is to not use the language yourself. Instead, you may consider sending your child to classes or school where they can pick up age-appropriate language skills and clear articulation.
Literacy Development – Reading
Tompkins (2009) states that reading is a process that the phonological, semantics, syntactic, and pragmatic systems have to work together and not in isolation.
“We go for phonics class, but my child cannot read and I don’t know phonics, so I can’t teach at home,” is a comment we often hear from parents. Reading should incorporate listening to stories and participating in read-aloud sessions. Additionally, children need opportunities for writing and applying various practices and strategies to enhance their literacy skills.
3 Practical Tips for Parents
Print-rich environment
Print words and paste them around the house. Eg. table
As children engage with their surroundings, offering them a print-rich environment assists in fostering text-to-self connections and provides opportunities for better retention as they visually encounter text more frequently.
Assisted Reading, Read with Your Child.
Shared book experience
Including previewing text, making predictions, modelling fluent reading aloud, rereading with a pointer, responding to and discussing the text, retelling the story, rereading many times. This is essential as it builds bonds and increases the love and interest for reading.
Language Games
Make reading fun and meaningful! We enjoy using games where children must read tasks to play. For instance, in Pictureka, players select a task card and search for the picture that matches the description on the card.
Literacy Development – Writing
Through writing, children learn about grammar and structure while also tapping into their creative side by expressing their thoughts on paper. Writing enables children to explore their creativity and express themselves in ways that may not always be possible through speaking alone. Before children can become proficient writers, it is important for them to go through the stage of invented spelling. During this stage, they use their phonics skills and knowledge of language rules to form words. Therefore, the four components of literacy skills—reading, writing, listening, and speaking—work together hand in hand.
3 Practical Tips for Parents
Writing logs (story reflection)
Enable learners to draw and write their feelings and thoughts about the text they read. This activity facilitates a connection between the stories read and their daily experiences (text-to-self connection). Furthermore, it fosters problem-solving skills and encourages reflective thinking.
Literacy Games
Spelling Games
We enjoy using games like Scrabble Slam to practice spelling words that children have learned. This fast-paced game is suitable for ages 5 and above. Players start with four letters and must create a word that can be transformed into another 4-letter word by changing one of its letters. For older children, playing Scrabble can help increase vocabulary and improve spelling skills.
Create greeting card/ journals / letters / notes
These activities offer children a valuable opportunity to apply their literacy skills in real-life contexts, fostering meaningful connections between their learning and daily experiences. Children not only practice writing, spelling, grammar, and punctuation but also express their thoughts, emotions, and creativity in personalized ways. These activities serve as expressive outlets, allowing children to communicate effectively while promoting their development of communication skills and fostering relationships with others.
Download our printable writing prompts today for meaningful and enjoyable writing experiences!
Language enrichment for preschoolers
Spacing recognizes the significance of early language learning and offers a comprehensive approach to enriching preschoolers’ literacy skills. Our preschool programmes are thoughtfully designed to provide a holistic learning experience, with a focus on all four components of literacy: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Through engaging activities and tailored curriculum, we aim to nurture children’s language development and lay a strong foundation for their future academic success.
Invest in your child’s language skills today for a brighter tomorrow!
