Nurturing Literacy in Young School-Aged Children: A Guide for Parents. By Jules Tushuizen Friday 5th April 2024
As parents, we all want to see our children thrive academically. One fundamental aspect of their educational journey is literacy development. Ensuring that your child is on track with their literacy skills early on can set them up for success in school and beyond. In Australia, literacy plays a crucial role in a child's educational journey, and understanding its importance can empower parents to support their child effectively.
Understanding Literacy Development in Children
Literacy development encompasses a range of skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. In the early years of schooling, children build the foundations of literacy through exposure to language-rich environments, phonemic awareness activities, and interactive reading experiences. These experiences help children develop essential literacy skills, such as decoding words, understanding sentence structure, and comprehending texts.
How Speech Pathologists Can Help
Sometimes, children may face challenges in developing their literacy skills and it is not anyone's fault. School and speech pathologists play a vital role in identifying and addressing these difficulties. They can assess a child's language and literacy abilities, identify areas of concern, and provide targeted interventions to support their development. Speech pathologists work collaboratively with parents and teachers to implement strategies that promote literacy growth and help children overcome obstacles.
Undiagnosed Literacy Difficulties: A Barrier to Learning
Undiagnosed literacy difficulties can significantly impact a child's learning experience. Without proper support, children may struggle to keep up with their peers academically, leading to frustration, low self-esteem, and disengagement from learning. These difficulties can persist into adolescence and adulthood, affecting various aspects of life, including academic achievement and employment opportunities.
The Importance of Early Intervention
Early intervention is key to addressing literacy difficulties and putting in the right supports. By identifying and addressing challenges early on, parents and teachers can provide different teaching styles to help children build essential literacy skills and succeed in school. Speech pathologists play a crucial role in this process, offering expertise and guidance to support children's literacy development.
Empowering Parents to Support Literacy
As parents, there are several ways you can support your child's literacy development:
Read Together: Make reading a part of your daily routine. Choose age-appropriate books and engage in interactive reading activities to promote language and literacy skills.
Count syllables: clap out the syllables in your child’s name, and other people in your family.
Point out letters: Show the letter that starts with your child’s name, which will help them to recognise it more often.
Read the same books and often: Familiar books and words help decode sounds and words and enable children to build confidence.
Point to each word as you say it: This shows clearly each word has a meaning.
Say the sound of the letter and have fun: I.e practice saying ‘ssss’ and pretend to be a snake.
Encourage Writing: Provide opportunities for your child to practice writing, whether it's through drawing, making pretend signs, journaling, writing stories, or card and letters.
Promote Oral Language Skills: Engage in conversations with your child and encourage them to express their thoughts and ideas verbally. This helps strengthen their oral language skills, which are essential for literacy development.
Seek Support if Needed: If you have concerns about your child's literacy development, don't hesitate to seek support from a speech pathologist or educational professional. Early intervention can make a significant difference in your child's progress.
In conclusion, nurturing literacy skills in young school-aged children is essential for their academic success and overall well-being. We know that some children will need help with literacy and it’s not because they are not trying. Parents can empower their children to become confident and proficient readers and writers.
References:
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment. (2021). Literacy and Numeracy Skills. Retrieved from https://www.dese.gov.au/literacy-and-numeracy-skills
Speech Pathology Australia. (n.d.). Literacy and Learning. Retrieved from https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/SPAweb/Resources_for_the_Public/Literacy.aspx
