Time off for the holidays? Many of us will be sharing kindness, embracing our loved ones, and making lasting memories. This is an exciting time of the year for children and there are lots of ways to include literacy into the FUN!
Spending time together can often include reading and storytelling. Try to find opportunities during the winter break to read together. Visit your local public library for books on holidays you celebrate. Our library has a big selection of books. Check out books on holidays that are celebrated around the world.
Here are other early literacy activities your family can do over the winter break.
Come up with a list of “common” holiday words.
Get your flashlight, pillow, and blanket. Read your books under the covers.
Create a calendar of how many books you have read during the winter break.
Have fun with crayons, pens, and paper. Use scratch paper and thick crayons, pencils, and pens for fun doodling and scribbling time. This is great for fine motor skills! Ask children to:
Draw a picture of you and them
Write what they want to eat
Be curious about what they draw – ask them to show you more!
Play alphabet games with toys you have at home.
Name the first letter of each toy and write it on a card.
Pick a letter card and have your child bring you toys that start with that letter.
Singing the ABC song while you move from one activity to the next:
Change the words, be silly, have fun!
Waiting for dinner to be served
Washing hands or changing clothes
Cleaning up toys
Getting in the car
Make a family book: collect family pictures to create your own book.
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¡Déjame oírte decir C-a-b-a-l-l-o ! Vamos a aplaudirlo.
Cómo las palabras se pueden juntar para comunicar ideas e información conduce a la comprensión; hablar con los niños es especialmente bueno para ayudarlos a pensar. Asegúrese de que su hijo pueda hablar con usted, no solo escucharlo hablar. Responda a lo que dice su hijo y siga su ejemplo. Responda las preguntas de su hijo de la manera más completa posible. Sus explicaciones ayudan a su hijo a aprender más sobre el mundo.
Si su hijo no está hablando, hágale preguntas, espere a que reaccione con un gesto o balbuceando, y luego hágale comentarios, como “Sí, los dos conejitos se están persiguiendo”. Pídale a su niño que le cuente algo que le haya sucedido hoy; Pida más detalles para que su hijo pueda ampliar la historia. Haga preguntas con más de un “sí” o un “no” como respuesta. Esto anima a su hijo a pensar en posibles soluciones ya hacer más preguntas. Aumenta las habilidades de comprensión.
Usa palabras nuevas. Los buenos lectores tienen un amplio vocabulario. Saber muchas palabras ayuda a los niños a comprender mejor lo que leen. Comience temprano, incluso antes de que sus hijos aprendan a hablar. Turnarse. Los niños están empezando a aprender a tener una conversación. Necesita hacer preguntas y escuchar las respuestas de sus hijos. Haz conexiones. Ayude a los niños a recordar eventos pasados y conéctelos con actividades actuales y futuras. Ayuda a los niños a comprender que el lenguaje puede representar eventos que no están sucediendo ahora.
How words can be put together to communicate ideas and information leads to comprehension; talking with children is especially good at helping them think. Ensure your child can speak with you, not just listen to you talk. Respond to what your child says and follow their lead. Answer your child’s questions as completely as possible. Your explanations help your child learn more about the world.
If your child isn’t talking, ask questions, wait for them to react with a gesture or by babbling, and then give feedback, such as, “Yes, the two bunnies are chasing each other.” Ask your toddler to tell you about something that happened to them today; ask for more details so your child can expand on the story. Ask questions with more than a “yes” or “no” answer. This encourages your child to think about possible solutions and to ask more questions. It increases comprehension skills.
Use new words. Good readers have a large vocabulary. Knowing lots of words helps children better understand what they read. Begin early, even before your children learn to talk. Take turns. Children are just beginning to learn how to have a conversation. You need to ask questions and listen to your children’s responses. Make connections. Help children remember past events and connect them to current and future activities. It helps children understand that language can represent events that are not happening now.
Join our summer reading program open to all ages. Sign up!
Do you know about our Dial-A-Story? Call and listen to a story while on the go, waiting, or walking. Stories are available in English and Spanish. 530-298-9990.
Scribbling is FUN!
Reading and writing go together. Both are ways to represent spoken words and to communicate information or tell stories. Children become aware that printed letters stand for spoken words as they see print used in their daily lives. They see parents and others read newspapers, food labels, road signs, and mail. They watch caregivers write lists, jot down reminders, or make notes on a calendar.
Children develop a knowledge of the purpose and meaning of reading through writing.
Once your child can grasp a thick crayon or marker, give him or her unlined paper and plenty of opportunities to draw and write.
Talk to your child about what he or she draws, ask questions, and respond to what your child says. You also can make up a story to go with the drawing. As children scribble and draw, they practice eye-hand coordination and exercise the muscles in their fingers and hands. This helps develop the fine motor control they need to write letters and words.
Encourage your children to “sign” their name on their drawings. Even if this begins as a scribble, children learn that they can write something that represents their name. Later your child will write the initials of his or her first and last name and then the complete name.
Ask your child to label parts of his or her drawings. This also helps your child understand that letters and words stand for things.
Check out the Art bilingual backpack to explore scribbling, drawing and writing together!
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