Take the 1-minute checklist: Is My Home a Literacy-Rich Environment?

A “literacy-rich environment” is one that provides children with easy access to interact with a variety of printed and writing materials. These materials may include such things as books, magazines, crayons, paper, signs, pencils, or word labels. Having a literacy-rich home brings your child one step closer to becoming ready to read! Today I'm sharing a quick checklist of features of a literacy-rich environment that can help you to evaluate your own home. 

"Children with access to books and to quality reading experiences in their homes have more rapid language & literacy development compared with children without such advantages, and they are more able to enter school ready to learn. And although early childhood educational programs can do much to help children develop strong language and literacy skills, there is little substitute for the power of children’s rich, positive, frequent experiences with books with their homes under the sensitive guidance of a parent.”– quote from Shared Storybook Ready: Building Young Children’s Language & Emergent Literacy Skills by Helen K Ezell & Laura M. Justice.

 

Complete this quick checklist of features of a literacy-rich environment 

to help evaluate your home:

___ My home includes a variety of books that are easily accessible to my children (that is, placed on easy to reach bookshelves, or in bins on the floor, etc).

___ My home includes a variety of other printed materials (for example, card games, newspapers, magazines, notes, informative labels).

___ My home contains writing tools that are easily accessible to my children (for example, pens, pencils, crayons, markers, paper, journals).

___ There are numbers throughout my home that are in my children’s view (on clocks, thermostats, calculators, calendars, money).

___ There are areas in my home designated for reading (for example, a comfy chair with a light or a “book nook”).

___ There are areas in my home designated for writing (for example, a playroom with a kid sized table, a desk with paper and pencils, or a night stand with a journal).

___ The play spaces in my home promote literacy skills (for example, having a cookbook in a child’s kitchen area, or a notepad and pencil with a doctor’s set).

___ My children often see the adults in the home engaged in reading and writing activities (for example, reading a magazine or writing a shopping list).


___ We have a specific time set aside for reading and writing activities (for example, writing or drawing in a journal before bed, or reading stories before dinner every night).

How do you measure up?

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How To Create A Supportive Literacy Environment In Your Home

It’s really no secret that reading aloud to children and having access to books aids in the development of language and literacy skills.  Once a child learns to read, voluntary free reading is associated with the development of adequate skills in comprehension, writing, vocabulary, grammar, and spelling.  One of the simplest things a parent can do to encourage literacy skills and free reading is to create what I call a “supportive literacy environment”.  Let me explain……

1)   Make sure books (and other types of print materials) are accessible in your home.

This not only means that you need to HAVE books in your home, but they need to be easily accessible by children.  So, it’s not enough to have a ton of books sitting pretty on the last shelf of your bookcase since your toddler can’t actually get to them.  For young children, the help-yourself bookcases are wonderful for providing access to printed materials (ours below is from JCPenny).  Can’t afford a new bookcase?  A bin placed on the floor, or a magazine rack will do the trick just fine too. 

Why is access to books so important?  Here’s some interesting research findings

(as cited in The Power of Reading by Steven D. Krashen):

            *A print-rich environment in the home is related to how much children read

            *Reading has been associated with number of books in the home; children who

              read more, have more books

            *More access at to books in the home results in more reading

            Books don’t have to be expensive either. Check out local garage
            sales, book sales at your public library, second hand thrift shops, and the dollar
            store. 

2)      Have a space in your home designated for reading.

Just like dad or mom needs their own office or “man space” or Jacuzzi tub to relax and enjoy some quiet time, your child needs a place where he or see can go to read.  It should be a quiet, inviting space much like you might see in a children’s library, although it doesn’t have to be that extravagant.  You might want to include your child’s favorite stuffed animal, a nice throw rug, a rocking chair and some soft furniture or pillows (there is research to support that these things actually encourage reading!).  A child’s reading space can even be his or her own bed with a nightstand stocked with favorite books and a lamp for comfortable reading.

3)      Be a model reader

Let’s face it, children model our behaviors.  It’s not enough to preach reading to your child - you actually have to do it a little yourself!  Research shows that children read more when they see others reading.  So turn off the TV and cell phone and pick up a newspaper, magazine, or your favorite novel. 

4)      Set aside a specific reading time

Research shows that children read more when they have time to read.  Remember sustained silent reading from your own school days?  Well, set up a time for SSR at home.  Whether it’s right before bed, or every Saturday morning, your child will definitely benefit from the time set aside specifically for reading.  Parents take time each week for their children to participate in activities such as soccer, or ballet lessons, why not a time for reading?

           Now, take this a step farther and combine suggestions #3 and #4 and have your

           own “family” SSR  time.  I’m sure there’s a book or magazine you’re interested in

           reading too!   

      5)  Read aloud 

There’s a ton of research suggesting that being read to is beneficial to the development of literacy (and this goes for newborns through college-aged students!).  First, it has been found that children who are read to more, read more themselves.  Second, being read to aloud has been linked to positive gains in vocabulary and comprehension (Denton and West, 2002).  For some tips on exactly how to read aloud check out the Read Aloud Tips tab at the top.

If you want to become truly educated on the subject of reading aloud, I suggest you check out Jim Trelease’s The Read Aloud Handbook, now in its sixth edition.

What if you don’t have all the time, money, space, or energy to do any of these suggestions in your home?  Take advantage of the professionals!  Your public library is a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon, or take your child after school.  There are two important things, however, to keep in mind if you want to help build literacy skills via your public library: 1) Actual reading has to be done (just making the trip there to “play” or socialize doesn’t count!), and 2) The quality of the library does make a difference.  Research has shown that better libraries result in better reading (Krashen, 1995; McQuillian, 1998).  So it’s worth visiting a library in the next town over if it has more books, more staffing, and better programming for children and teens.  

Good Luck!

Other How To's to come:

The Bad Rap of Flashcards: How to Use and Not Use Them Effectively

How to Use Dialogic Reading Strategies

How to Get Started with the Littlest Learner: Some Tips for Reading with Newborns