Every Child Ready to Read is a parent education initiative from the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children.
In an effort to further develop early literacy skills, PLA and ALSC concluded that public libraries could have a greater impact by educating parents and caregivers. By giving parents and caregivers lessons about the importance of early literacy and hot to develop pre-reading skills at home, the efforts of public libraries is multiplied.
Five Skills
The next ECRR Practice we will explore is Reading. This is the most crucial practice you can do to help a child’s early literacy development! The best way to prepare a child for reading is to start reading to them at birth! We encourage you to keep all reading interactions a positive experience. EVPL’s Board Book Collection is a great starting point for reading with a baby because these books are specifically designed for our littlest readers. As a child grows older and starts moving on their own, it is ok if they are moving around as you read to them. Even if they are jumping up and down, they are still listening to you read aloud. Reading with a child will help them learn about story structure, print awareness, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness. Read every day!
Tips for Incorporating Reading into Daily Life
- Join EVPL’s 1OOO Books Before Kindergarten program!
- Visit your local library and pick out books together.
- Ask the child questions before, during, and after reading a book. Ask them what they think the book is about, what they think will happen next, and more.
- Point to the pictures on the page.
- Read on your own and make sure the child catches you reading. If you practice reading every day, they will imitate you as they grow older.
Additional Resources
- Reading Tips for Parents from Reading Rockets: Reading tips in many languages and tips for reading with children with disabilities.
- Books Build Connections Toolkit by the American Academy for Pediatrics
- Every Child Ready to Read: Official website of Every Child Ready to Read initiative provides information and resources for parents and caregivers.
Books to Encourage Reading
- I Love all of Me by Lorie Ann Grover
- Ten Tiny Toes by Caroline Jayne Church
- The Babies on the Bus by Karen Katz
- The Thankful Book by Todd Parr. His books are in print and on OverDrive. All of his titles are great!
