What Is Early Literacy? Throughout our department and in our storytimes, you might notice a phrase often repeated: early literacy. But what is early literacy? From birth, children can learn essential skills that will help them to read and write later on. Early literacy is not learning how to read and write, but giving children a foundation for learning later on. At Fremont, we use a program called Every Child Ready to Read which focuses on five skills: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. You may notice that you already do these things at home which is supremely reasurring! So, why are everyday activites so special? Talking: Children learn language by listening to their parents and others talk. Building vocabulary and learning about the world around them will help your child make connections between stories and real life. Furthermore, when your child talks to you, she is engaging in self-expression and developing her narrative skills by creating her own stories. By imitating the story structure she loves, she is developing an early desire to read and reinforcing her vocabulary. Tags: youth blog early literacy Read more about What Is Early Literacy?