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Early Literacy

Early Literacy Outreach

Each year, the library's Early Literacy Outreach Program reaches more than 1,500 preschoolers, parents, caregivers and others in HeadStart centers, child care centers, and many other non-library settings in Fairfax County. The Early Literacy Outreach Manager and her cadre of expert volunteers, many former teachers and public librarians, present storytimes to help children and their caregivers learn the skills (see below) preschoolers need to get ready to read.

• What is Early Literacy?
• Booklists for Preschoolers
• What's New in Children's Picture Books?
• What Children Like in Books

Help get children ready to read:

• Love of Books - Print Motivation
  Being interested in and enjoying books.
  Tip: Model the fun of reading and playing with language.
• Use Books - Print Awareness
  Noticing print is being read and not the pictures, knowing how to handle a book, how to follow the written word on a page and recognizing print has meaning.
  Tip: Run your finger under the title and any repeated phrases and allow children to help you say any repetitive phrase.
• Learn New Words – Vocabulary
  Knowing the names of things and understanding feelings and concepts.
  Tip: Read books because they contain words children may not hear in everyday conversations.
• Tell a Story - Narrative Skills
  Being able to describe things and events and tell stories.
  Tip: Reread a book and at certain points, let children tell you what happens next.
• See and Know Letters - Letter Knowledge
  Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds and recognizing them everywhere.
  Tip: Read alphabet books with clear letters and pictures and sing alphabet songs.
• Hear and Make Sounds - Phonological Awareness
  Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds that make up words.
  Tip: Read books with rhyming words and sing songs.

More Early Literacy Information

• What you can do for:
  • Pre-Talkers: Birth to Two Year-Olds
  • Talkers: Two to Three Year-Olds
  • Pre-Readers: Four to Five Year-Olds

• ELSIE : Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange
  Find books to help children develop early literacy skills.

  ELSIE is regularly updated by librarians at Hennepin County Library, MN.

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