Books are wonderful, and sharing stories with young children is one of life’s great pleasures. But long before a child sounds out their first word on a page, the real foundations of literacy are already being built, through everyday talk, play and storytelling.
That’s the message from Dr Michelle Brinn, Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies at Swansea University, who is sharing her top tips for building early literacy at home as part of the National Year of Reading.
“Reading involves much more than sounding out words,” Dr Brinn explains. Books help children make sense of the world through ‘print language’, exploring feelings and imagining possibilities beyond their everyday lives. To understand books, children first need a strong grounding in language, communication and story.
The good news is that many of the most important literacy skills develop through ordinary daily interactions, long before formal reading instruction begins.
1. Let’s talk
Everyday conversation is one of the best ways to support a child’s future reading. Chatting while cooking, walking to school or getting ready for bed helps children learn that words solve problems, express feelings and connect people.
2. Communication is key
Spoken language is only one way children communicate. Babies use facial expressions, gestures and sounds, while some children use signs or pictures. Responding to a child’s attempts to communicate, in whatever form, shows them that communication matters.
3. Creativity counts
Drawing, painting, building, dancing and singing all help children express their ideas with confidence. Taking an interest in what they create, and asking questions about it, helps connect their thoughts and experiences with language.
4. Play with sounds
Before children can link letters to sounds, they need to enjoy the sounds within language itself. Nursery rhymes, songs, rhyming games and silly made-up words all build phonological awareness, a key early literacy skill.
5. Nurture storytelling skills
Stories can be found everywhere, not just in books. Conversations, films, family memories and imaginative play all help children understand how stories work, building narrative skills that support later reading comprehension.
6. Embrace children’s own stories
Children are natural storytellers, often narrating their day to toys, friends or family. Listening with curiosity, asking questions and encouraging detail helps children grow in confidence as communicators.
7. Protect time for play
Perhaps the most important tip of all is to value play. Whether it’s a cardboard box adventure or a puppet show, play lets children create characters, solve problems and experiment with language, building many of the skills that support later reading and writing.
Dr Brinn’s takeaway for parents: alongside story time, make time for conversation, singing, rhyming, creating, pretending and playing. Together, these build strong foundations for reading.
For more information about the National Year of Reading, visit the Go All In website.
