Literacy Critical Piece of Quality Daycare

We are all aware that reading is crucial to being successful in today’s world. So much of our personal and work communications are done through the written word-texts, emails, memos. And I think we can all agree that we want our children to become skilled readers and writers so that they may have successful futures. And for those of us who have children in daycare and preschool, we want to be sure they gain the skills they need when not in our care.

When we talk about literacy in daycare, we don’t mean teaching infants and toddlers to read. Rather, it refers to the practice of providing infants and toddlers experiences letters, words, and books. In an article about early literacy, the American Library Association states, “Literacy development begins at birth and is closely linked to a baby’s earliest experiences with books and stories. Babies learn language through social literacy experiences” (ala.org). These experiences include being read to as often as possible and allowing them to hold books in their hands (remember to use books that are safe for babies to chew on!).

At Building Kidz, we offer infant care, toddler care, and pre-kindergarten programs. Each and every class, every day, provides meaningful literacy experiences in our daycare centers. Each week, the toddler care and preschool classes focus on a specific letter. They hold the letter, practice writing the letter, and make crafts with the letter. We let them experience each letter through multiple activities so that they can begin to recognize the letter. They also begin to memorize words that start with that letter, further preparing them for future reading success.

We recently heard from a parent the success she has seen in her child since he started the preschool program at Building Kidz. “It’s exciting! He comes home now, telling me that frog starts with ‘f’ and snake starts with ‘s’. Him and I have start playing a game where we pick a letter and come up with as many words as we can that start with that letter. It’s fun and exciting, and I think he’ll really be ready for kindergarten.”

We love hearing that our children and families find such success, and it is our commitment to all of our families that each child will find this kind of success. Learn more about our programs here. And to find a location near you, click here.