Early Literacy

We begin to read at an early age and our parents are our first teachers. Here are some great books and materials you can use to support your child's early literacy skills.

Track your child's milestones from age 2 Months to 5 Years with the CDC's easy-to-use illustrated checklists. Get tips from the CDC for encouraging your child's development and find out what to do if you're ever concerned about how your child is developing.

Where to Learn More

University of Washington: Institute for Learning & Brain Science (I-LABS)
The Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS) is the world’s leading interdisciplinary research center on early learning and brain development. Parents and Caregivers can access free resources that highlight the science of child development through handouts and learning modules.
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University
The Center strives to present information, especially scientific information, in a way that is accessible to a wide range of readers.
Reach Out & Read
Reach Out and Read is a national nonprofit that champions the positive effects of reading daily and engaging in other language-rich activities with young children. Reading together promotes healthy brain development, furthers language acquisition, and helps families build meaningful bonds.
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Developmental Milestones
Skills such as taking a first step, smiling for the first time, and waving “bye bye” are called developmental milestones. Children reach milestones in how they play, learn, speak, act, and move (crawling, walking, etc.).
Saroj Ghoting Early Literacy Research
Saroj Ghoting is an Early Childhood Literacy Consultant and national trainer on early literacy. She has presented early literacy training and information sessions at national, regional, and state conferences, and training for library staff and their partners. She has been a consultant for the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children of the American Library Association on the Every Child Ready to Read @ your library® early literacy initiative.

Brain Development

More than 80% of a child's brain is formed during their first 3 years. What they experience during this time can irreversibly affect how their brain develops. Neurons are the building blocks of the brain and are constructed to make connections.

Parts of a neuron are

Axon - the "output" fiber that sends impulses to other neurons
Dendrites - short hair-like "input" fibers that receive impulses from other neurons
Cell body - processes the inputs

Neurons relay messages to and from the brain. If the collective "inputs" to a single neuron are strong enough, it will "output" its own message, sending it to the brain to be processed.

Children use every part of their brain when they learn to read.

Frontal Lobe - responsible for movement, problem solving, concentrating, thinking, behavior, personality, and mood.
Temporal Lobe - processes hearing, language, and memory
Brainstem - responsible for consciousness, breathing, and heart rate
Cerebellum - responsible for posture, balance, and coordination of movement.
Occipital Lobe - Processes vision and responsible for perception.
Parietal Lobe - processes sensations, language, and perception and is responsible for body awareness and attention.

When we read, all the parts of our brain work together. Early literacy skills help our brain learn to use all of these parts together so we're ready to read when we go to school.