Creating a Literacy Rich Environment for Children

The beginning of March brings with it World Book Day. According to the charity, reading for fun is the single biggest indicator that a child will grow up to enjoy a happier and more successful life – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational backgrounds or their income.?

We’re also firm believers that reading improves, not only a child’s imagination, but also their empathy and understanding of the world around them. However, with the World Book Day charity citing that only 1 in 3 children say they enjoy reading, promoting the activity can sometimes be a challenge. This can especially be true for children in care, who’ve often experienced developmental delays, or been raised in households without books, and sometimes have complex relationships with the education system.?

So what can we do to encourage a literacy rich environment for all children??

Expand your own thinking?

To start, lets cast off the notion that reading is only about books. At its very core reading is all about crafting a culture of curiosity and storytelling. And we can achieve this in oh so many ways…?

Audiobooks?

Let’s not forget that storytelling is rooted in the spoken word. Audiobooks are also more accessible for children who have delayed reading capabilities, while still igniting their passion for words. It can help them conjure mental images easier, allowing them to better engage with the narrative without the pressure of decoding the sentences on the page. Audiobooks are brilliant for improving vocabulary and comprehension.?

Comic books?

In a similar thread to our point about audiobooks, before we communicated through written or even spoken word, mankind used pictures to tell stories. Don’t dismiss comic books. They’re literally an artform! Matching pictures with the simplistic style of writing, helps children better connect with the emotions being conveyed in the narrative. If they’re unsure of what the words mean, then they can often deduce what’s happening by examining the pictures.??

Without blocks of text, comic books are great alternatives for reluctant readers and far less intimidating than a book. With many comics focusing on well-known characters, this can also introduce an element of familiarity which can be comforting for children who’ve experienced a lot of disruption in their lives.??

Make reading part of daily life?

Reading is part of daily life, as adults we’re constantly interpreting the world around us by instinct. Help children to do the same by making a point of sharing that time with them.?

Cooking together? Take them through the recipe, read through nutritional values on food packaging and allow them to set timers based on the instructions.?

On a road trip? Point out the different road signs and discuss their meaning, tell them to look out for the train station logo, or help find the parking meter in the car park. Little things where visual clues will help them become familiar with words and symbols.?

Out for a meal? Go through the menu together!??

The possibilities to bring literacy into everyday life are endless. Of course, ending the day with a five-minute bedtime story is also a brilliant routine, not only to improve reading but it's also the perfect way to end the day with some quality time together.??

Tell us, what are your hints and tips for creating a literacy rich world??

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