As a parent, finding time to sit down and read to your children can be challenging. With a long list of tasks after work like making school lunches, checking homework, and managing appointments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, you just crave a moment to unwind before the cycle begins again at 4 a.m. or whatever early hour the next day demands. Yet, we know how crucial early literacy is for a child’s future academic success and lifelong learning. Early exposure to literacy prepares children for school by developing the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Children with a strong foundation in literacy are better equipped to engage in classroom activities, participate in learning, and follow instructions.

To make reading feel less like a chore and more like a spontaneous, fun activity, try incorporating various literacy techniques. There are many enjoyable ways to foster literacy skills in your children.

Reciprocal Reading

One of my favorite methods, this approach involves predicting, clarifying, questioning, and summarizing as you read. It encourages children to engage with both you and the text, making the experience interactive. While it’s great for group settings, it works just as well with one child. Here’s how you can do it:

• Predicting: Ask your child, “What do you think this book is about?” or “What do you think will happen next?” As you read, encourage them to make logical predictions.
• Clarifying: Invite your child to ask questions about anything they find confusing, such as unfamiliar vocabulary or concepts. If they don’t ask, you can prompt them with questions like, “What does this mean?” or “Do you know what this word is?” Listening to stories introduces children to new words and helps them understand meanings through context.
• Questioning: Encourage your child to ask questions about the story or pictures. This helps deepen their understanding and engagement with the material.
• Summarizing: Ask your child to summarize what has happened in the story so far. It’s always interesting to hear how children interpret and retell the story in their own words.

Creative Literacy

You don’t have to read a book word for word to make it count. There are plenty of other fun ways to incorporate literacy into your daily routine:

• Reading Pictures: Discuss the images in a book by asking your child what they see, identifying shapes or colors, or even counting objects. For example, if there’s a basketball on the page, you could ask, “What shape is the basketball? What color is it? What letter does ‘basketball’ start with? What do you do with a basketball?”
• Singing Songs and Reciting Poems: Make literacy fun by singing songs together or even making up your own.
• Drawing and Writing: Encourage your child to draw, which allows them to express their emotions and thoughts. This activity helps develop language skills, fine motor skills, and imagination. Those early scribbles are an important step toward reading.
• Creating Their Own Story: Have your child write their own story. This helps expand their vocabulary and encourages creativity. It’s a great option when you don’t have a book on hand.

Empowering Young Readers

YWCA Northwestern Illinois, in partnership with various organizations, is collaborating with United Way of Rock River Valley on the United for Literacy campaign to increase literacy rates in Winnebago County. Everyone—parents, guardians, child care providers, family members, and friends—can contribute to this cause by making literacy an enjoyable and essential part of daily life, ensuring that every child enters kindergarten with the foundational skills to read. Studies show that children who read below grade level by third grade are more likely to face academic challenges later on, which can lead to increased dropout rates, incarceration, and poverty.

Together, by fostering a love for reading and providing early literacy support, we can help build a brighter future for our children and our community. If you live in Winnebago County you can enroll your child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at birth, or any time after birth through age 5, through United Way of Rock River Valley. Every month until age 5, a free age-appropriate book is mailed directly to the child’s home with the child’s name on the envelope. So, grab a book, a cozy spot, and let the reading adventures begin—because with just a few minutes each day, you’re not just turning pages; you’re turning little learners into lifelong readers!

-Lisa Bock, CCR&R Director