Early Literacy Development

Early Literacy and Preschool Resources

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Help Your Child with Writing (Pre-K)

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Making Reading Relevant: Read, Learn, and Do! (Pre-K)

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Start the New Year Off Right: Resolve to Raise a Reader!

By: Reading Rockets (2008)

Learning That's Hands-On Holiday Fun (Pre-K)

By: Reading Rockets (2007)

Make Reading Part of Your Preschooler’s Everyday Life

By: National Center for Family Literacy (2007)

Do you enjoy reading? Do you look at the newspaper? Read magazines? Go to the library? Chances are, if you do any of these activities, your preschool child is on his way to becoming a reader.

Beginning Readers: Look! I Can Read This!

By: Reading Rockets (2007)

Emergent Readers: Look! That's My Letter!

By: Reading Rockets (2007)

Repeated Interactive Read-Alouds in Preschool and Kindergarten

By: Cheryl K. Iannucci (2007)

Research has demonstrated that the most effective read-alouds are those where children are actively involved asking and answering questions and making predictions, rather than passively listening. This article describes in detail a technique for a three-step interactive read-aloud using sophisticated storybooks.

RTI Goes to Pre-K

By: FPG Child Development Institute (2007)

Can teachers and parents of preschoolers identify learning problems early enough to prevent problems later in school? The Recognition & Response model helps adults know what to look for and how to help, so that later remediation and special education may not be necessary.

Reading Rockets Interview with Susan B. Neuman

By: Reading Rockets (2007)

Susan B. Neuman served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education where she helped establish the Reading First and Early Reading First programs. She is a professor in Educational Studies at the University of Michigan, specializing in early literacy development, and former director of the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Ability (CIERA).

Talking Counts!

By: Reading Rockets (2007)

Advocating for Your Preschool Child

By: National Center for Learning Disabilities (2006)

It's never too early to start looking for ways to help your child succeed in learning. This article covers children who are under 2 and who are in pre-school. They have rights under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). Find out the first steps to take if you suspect your child has difficulty learning.

Reading for Information

By: West Bloomfield Township Public Library (2006)

Don't forget to add non-fiction books to your reading routine! Kids can follow their own interests and learn about the world around them by reading about bugs, dinosaurs, or outer space. You can also use the information in books to do activities at home – make green eggs and ham like Sam I Am, or a newspaper hat like Curious George!

Oral Language: Expanding Your Child's Vocabulary

By: West Bloomfield Township Public Library (2006)

Talking to your child helps expand vocabulary, develop background knowledge, and inspire a curiosity about the world – all of which help with learning to read! Here are some simple activities you can do at home to get your child ready to read.

Recognition and Response: An Early Intervening System for Young Children At-Risk for Learning Disabilities

By: Mary Ruth Coleman, Virginia Buysse, and Jennifer Neitzel (2006)

Some young children show signs that they may not be learning in an expected manner, even before they begin kindergarten. These children may exhibit problems in areas such as language development, phonological awareness, perceptual-motor abilities, and attention, which have been considered precursors of learning disabilities in older children. However, under current state and federal guidelines, these children are unlikely to meet eligibility criteria for having a learning disability. This is because formal identification of a child's learning disability generally does not occur until there is a measurable discrepancy between the child's aptitude and academic achievement, often not until the second or third grade.

How We Neglect Knowledge and Why

By: Susan Neuman (2006)

How Does Your Child Hear and Talk?

By: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2005)

Every child is unique and has an individual rate of development. This chart represents, on average, the age by which most children will accomplish skills in hearing, understanding, and talking.

Children and Bilingualism

By: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (2005)

Children pick up languages much more easily than adults. This article answers some common questions about raising bilingual children.

Young Children's Development: What to Expect

By: U.S. Department of Education (2005)

What's typical development? And what can parent do to be sure their child is getting the stimulation he or she needs? Here's a list of what to look for as a child learns and grows from infancy to preschool.