Ready to Read Early Literacy Give a child a gift that lasts a lifetime Help them get ready to read

Early Literacy

Give a child a gift that lasts a lifetime

Help them get ready to read

Brain Research Babies born with one hundred billion neurons Neurons not connected

Babies born with one hundred billion neurons

Neurons not connected

Sensory Experiences Cause connections between neurons Electrical impulses Basis of child’s learning

Cause connections between neurons

Electrical impulses

Basis of child’s learning

Serotonin Enables & enhances electrical signals Feeling good, love, being cared for produces serotonin

Enables & enhances electrical signals

Feeling good, love, being cared for produces serotonin

Stress & Development High stress increases hormone cortisol Inhibits transmission of serotonin Reduces connections needed for learning

High stress increases hormone cortisol

Inhibits transmission of serotonin

Reduces connections needed for learning

Children 3 - 10 3 times the synapses as adults As child grows, fewer synapses, more organized Some kept, some lost

3 times the synapses as adults

As child grows, fewer synapses, more organized

Some kept, some lost

Repetition is Key Brain keeps synapses that are used repeatedly Little used synapses pruned away Interactions affect development Affect child for life

Brain keeps synapses that are used repeatedly

Little used synapses pruned away

Interactions affect development

Affect child for life

Respond from Birth Early experiences affects brain development Babies mimic Faces Talk Smile

Early experiences affects brain development

Babies mimic

Faces

Talk

Smile

Early Literacy Skills Six skills become building blocks Ready to learn to read “ Head start” in school

Six skills become building blocks

Ready to learn to read

“ Head start” in school

Print Motivation Excited about, interested in books Enjoys being read to Plays with books Pretends to write

Excited about, interested in books

Enjoys being read to

Plays with books

Pretends to write

Phonological Awareness Plays with sounds in words Hears and manipulates the smaller sounds in words Hears and creates rhymes

Plays with sounds in words

Hears and manipulates the smaller sounds in words

Hears and creates rhymes

Narrative Skills Tells stories Describes things Talks about sequence of activities

Tells stories

Describes things

Talks about sequence of activities

Enriched Vocabulary Learn names of things Reads books, names objects Children enter school with 3,000-5,000 words

Learn names of things

Reads books, names objects

Children enter school with 3,000-5,000 words

Print Awareness Notices print everywhere Knows how to handle books Follows words on a page Points to words on page

Notices print everywhere

Knows how to handle books

Follows words on a page

Points to words on page

Letter Knowledge Knows differences between letters Knows shapes of letters Knows names & sounds of letters

Knows differences between letters

Knows shapes of letters

Knows names & sounds of letters

Help Your Child Visit library storytimes for babies, toddlers, preschoolers Talk, sing, tell stories Encourage talking to you Share books, beginning at infancy

Visit library storytimes for babies, toddlers, preschoolers

Talk, sing, tell stories

Encourage talking to you

Share books, beginning at infancy