Understanding the basic sounds of individual letters is an important basic skill in learning to read. Child care providers sometimes call this “learning the alphabet.” It also is called phonological awareness, which is the ability to pay attention to, identify, and use sounds of speech. Phonological awareness helps children break words into sounds and to blend sounds into words.
For example, children need to tell the difference between “d” and “t,” or “b” and “p.” Some letters can have a …
Literacy and language develop together in children. Reading and writing develop along with speaking and listening. And it all begins at birth with a child’s first cooing. There are many ways child care providers can boost children’s language skills at different ages. Here are several ways to help expand the language and literacy skills of children in your child care program.
For children, learning to read means continually building an ever-growing vocabulary of words. Child care providers are a key part in this process of vocabulary development.
Vocabulary is the number of words known or used by a person. Children use simple words that they understand. Generally, children understand more words than they use. The average preschooler knows about 5,000 words. By the end of high school the average young adult will know about 60,000 words. A child’s vocabulary will gradually …
