Early Childhood Literacy

The ability to read and write if often referred to as “literacy”. The question to be asked, though, is this: as parents and educators, what can we do to encourage and increase literacy in our children? To answer that, we first need to understand one fact: “literacy counts from day one” (bizjournals.com).

This idea, that literacy matters from the first day of a child’s life is not a new one. Scientists of been studying how, when, and why children gain these skills. The main aspect that has changed is that they now study how modern technology affects these literacy skills. In the quoted article above, these studies are simply summarized. And this is what it comes down to: “while the amount of talking parents did with their children made a difference, one researcher found that language delivered by television, audio book, Internet, or smartphone didn’t produce the same results as personal interaction, no matter how educational the content.”

This is significant for us parents and educators. We could turn on Little Einsteins everyday for our children, but it will not produce the same literacy outcome as simple personal interactions. And this is something that teachers at Building Kidz provide on a daily basis.

We see our children as just that-children. Each Building Kidz child is unique and a crucial part to the atmosphere of each school. They are not simply a number. Our teachers care for them on an individual level, and thus provide them with meaningful personal interactions throughout the day.

On top of that, our teachers provide all children (infants included) meaningful experiences with the spoken and the written word. The kiddos are read to. They’re given books to hold and to look at. Even if they can’t speak back, teachers talk them, teaching them about this bright new world they are growing up in.

To find your closest Building Kidz location, click here.

For an in depth look at brain development in babies, read this article.