Category: Literacy
Resources, activities, and advice to help your child develop a love for reading and writing. Nurture their language skills and boost their confidence.
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How to read to kids
Learn how to read to kids with these simple tips for parents, caregivers, and teachers.
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Early literacy
Early literacy skills are some of the most important things you can help your child build before they ever set foot in a classroom. These are the skills that set children up to read and write with confidence. The good news is that many of them develop naturally through everyday conversation, play, and time spent…
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Letter tracing ideas
Learning to write letters takes time, and the path there is longer than most parents expect. Before a child can trace a letter on paper, they need to recognize it first. And before they can hold a pencil properly, they need the hand strength to do so. This post walks through each of those steps…
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Free alphabet tracing sheet
Learning to write letters takes time and repetition. Alphabet tracing worksheets give children a structured way to practice letter formation, connect letters to sounds, and build confidence before they start writing on their own. This free printable covers all 26 letters from A to Z, and it works well for preschool and kindergarten-age children at…
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Sight word sentences
Once your child has started learning individual sight words, the natural next step is putting those words into sentences. Sight word sentences give early readers a chance to see familiar words in context, which builds both fluency and confidence at the same time. If you are just getting started, it helps to read about when…
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How to teach sight words
How to teach sight words Teaching sight words is one of the most rewarding parts of early literacy. When a child suddenly recognizes “the” or “said” without sounding it out, you can see the confidence land on their face in real time. If you are a parent or caregiver getting ready to start this work,…
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When to teach sight words
Sight words are one of the first real reading milestones for young children. Most kids start learning them around age four, right around the time they enter preschool. By kindergarten, at around age five, many children are ready to build on that foundation and recognize a much wider range of common words. If you are…
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Prepositions of place for kindergarten
Prepositions are the small words that connect nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases to the rest of a sentence. They describe place, location, direction, and relationship. Prepositions of place, in particular, get a lot of attention in kindergarten. Children this age are actively building the language they need to describe the world around them, and these…
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Early literacy tips
Literacy is about much more than reading. It covers speaking, listening, writing, and reading together as one connected set of skills. These skills help children understand the world around them and express their own thoughts and needs. Building a strong foundation in all four areas during the early years makes a real difference later on.…
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The best books for a 1-year-old
Choosing books for a 1-year-old is a little different than buying books for older children. At this age, kids are moving from baby to toddler, and their brains are busy making connections at a rapid pace. The books that work best at this stage are simple and short, with illustrations that are clear and inviting.…
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What is a board book?
A board book is a children’s book made with thick, cardboard-style pages. The pages are so sturdy they feel like actual boards, which is exactly where the name comes from. These books are built for babies and toddlers who are still learning how to handle objects gently. They have fewer pages than a standard book,…