Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) is an initiative created by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children to encourage parents, as their child(ren)’s first teacher, to participate in enrichment activities that create the building blocks for reading. There are six building blocks that children need to begin reading. They are: print awareness, print motivation, letter knowledge, vocabulary, phonological awareness, and narrative skills. Parents can encourage the development of these building blocks by: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.
Six Skills Your Kids Need to Begin Reading
- PRINT AWARENESS (Knowing Books)
- PRINT MOTIVATION (Loving Books)
- LETTER KNOWLEDGE (Knowing Letters)
- VOCABULARY (Knowing Words)
- PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS (Knowing Sounds)
- NARRATIVE SKILLS (Telling Stories)
Doing each of these five practices with your child often will help them build the above six building blocks for them to learn to read! Below are handouts to help parents with ECRR!
What You Can Do
Talk - Talking with children is one of the best ways to help them learn language. Talk to your child in your native language.
Sing - Songs are a natural way for children to learn about language. Songs break words into smaller parts that are easier to learn and understand.
Read - Reading together is the single most important way to help children get ready to read.
Write - Writing and reading go together. Scribbling and writing help children learn that written words stand for spoken language.
Play - Playing helps children put thoughts into words and think symbolically so they understand that spoken and written words can stand for real objects and experiences.
Song & Story Guides for Parents
