Early literacy: Chapter and verse

Amelia Foster and Marian Whitehead, 20 February 2002, 12:00am

Help parents to understand simple and accessible ways to encourage children's development of literacy, with advice from Amelia Foster and Marian Whitehead

We know that babies and toddlers need books in the home. The EPPE (Effective Provision of Pre-School Education) study being carried out by the Institute of Education has shown that pre-school children who have access to books in the home perform better throughout Key Stage One, regardless of the level of their parents' education.

Learning to turn the pages and chatting about the pictures helps to develop a baby's literacy and, more crucially, oracy. We should take seriously the findings of Ann Locke and Dr Jane Ginsbourg of Sheffield University reported in Nursery World (10 January 2002), that over-emphasis on early literacy is delaying oracy and early language. The National Literacy Trust is campaigning for a joined-up approach to supporting all parents and carers in providing a language-rich environment for nought to three- year-old children over the next ten years.

The question is how to get books into the homes of those who, for a multitude of reasons, are not providing them for their pre-school children, while also supporting effective and pleasurable use of books by parents and carers. There are two country-wide schemes which are doing this - Bookstart and All Books for Children. In addition there are many schemes that operate at local level. Bookstart, set up by the Book Trust in 1992, provides parents with a book pack containing two free books suitable for babies, advice and information on sharing books with their child and an invitation to join the local library. The scheme is successful in reaching so many families because the library service works with the health authority to distribute the packs at the baby's seven- to nine- month health check.

In some areas Bookstart Plus schemes have been set up, giving books to toddlers aged 18 to 30 months. Unfortunately Bookstart currently has no core funding, which means that money has to be found at local level, although the scheme will receive New Opportunities Funding in the future. For more information, visit the Book Trust website at www.booktrust.co.ukor contact your local library service.

The 'funding gap' that Bookstart is currently experiencing has heightened the importance to library authorities of All Books for Children, a Reading Is Fundamental, UK/Starbucks Coffee Company initiative (Reading Is Fundamental is a scheme run by the National Literacy Trust). All Books for Children allows children under four to choose and keep three free books, distributed at 16 library authorities across the UK. To find out more see www.rif.org.uk.

Besides All Books for Children, RIF projects can be set up to bring books to the under-fours at a cost of £15 per child per year. Funding could be gained through Sure Start, a Single Regeneration Budget or the New Opportunities Fund. Again, the website is a good place to start for help and advice on setting up a project at your nursery.

There are also many local schemes that offer toddlers free books, such as Fast Lane (Babies Into Books) in Kirklees. For information about these up to 1999, try the National Literacy Trust's online database at www.literacytrust.org.uk.

Amelia Foster works for the National Literacy Trust. Early years consultant Marian Whitehead has written the guide to early literacy opposite

A parent's guide to early literacy

Some parents believe that putting a child on a reading scheme as soon as possible will mean that they will do better at school later on - but this is not the case. In fact, pushing a child into formal reading and writing exercises too young can damage the development of literacy. A far more effective way of equipping your child with good literacy skills is by having fun! Some ideas for fun are suggested here.

How does literacy start?

Literacy - reading and writing - develops from communication, which can be spoken or unspoken. When your baby looks into your eyes and gives you a big smile, you can't mistake what he is trying to tell you. Babies use gestures, facial expressions and crying to communicate, and this ability will grow the more you respond in turn. As children get older they also communicate by talking, listening, playing, drawing and making marks.

Literacy has to be real for young children, so they need to see their carers writing shopping lists or e-mails and reading newspapers, letters, books and notices. And they need to get involved too. Remember: The foundations of literacy are communication and talk, enjoying books and understanding that marks (such as letters and numbers), pictures and print carry messages.

Communication, language and literacy is one oaf the six areas of learning in the Foundation Stage which has been introduced for three- to five-year-olds in nurseries in England (see Nursery World, 21 September 2000). Nursery staff will do similar activities to these.

What can I do at home?

Introduce your child to picture books as a young baby. The secret is to be close and comfortable, turn the pages and talk about the pictures. Use the same books over and over again. Encourage your child to look closely at the pictures and touch the pages. Let them take books to bed and on car and bus rides, and join the local public library, especially if you cannot afford books. The National Literacy Trust (www.literacytrust.org.uk) has details of schemes that give free books to pre-schoolers.
Spend time talking to your child - at meal times, bath time, when you are out and about. Make TV and video viewing a shared activity and talk about what you are watching.
Sing nursery rhymes and advertising jingles. Play with words and recite bits of poetry. This play with language will be the greatest contribution you can make to your child's understanding of the sounds of letters and words.
Show your child the print on letters and food packaging and look at street names, posters, road and shop signs.
Include your child in any writing you do - let them add scribbles to shopping lists and letters.
Collect scrap paper for painting and drawing, as well as crayons and paints. Watch children make marks - on pastry and playdough, on outside surfaces with water and brushes, on wet sand in playgrounds. Talk about these marks and treat them as serious communications.
Put your child's name on paintings, cupboards and boxes. Remember: Parents can be the best teachers of early literacy if they make it fun and get across a sense of real communication. What about learning the alphabet, the sounds of letters (phonics), flash cards, reading schemes and tracing letters?
Beautiful alphabet books can stimulate your child's fascination with the initial sounds and letters of familiar objects. Always talk about letters by name and by the 'sounds' they make.
Flash cards are unhelpful - the best way for children to learn to recognise words is in meaningful contexts. For example, they will quickly recognise the name of their favourite breakfast cereal on the box.
Avoid reading schemes - use picture stories that stimulate children's imagination and foster a love of books.
If children have ample opportunities to scribble, draw and paint, they don't need to trace letters. In fact, if they are pushed into copying writing too soon, it is likely to put them off. Remember: Pushing a child into formal reading and writing exercises can damage the development of literacy.