| Literacy skills begin early - by the age of five or | | | | appliqués on ceramic tiles in the bathtub. |
| six. Before they even begin school, bilingual | | | | When my son looks a "G" for example, he says |
| children have already absorbed the grammatical | | | | the word and then the word "Go-go" from one of |
| structures, sounds, and vocabulary of a language. | | | | his short readers we've been reading together. |
| This assumption takes into account that parents | | | | Literacy at this young tender age starts with |
| speak with their children in their own mother | | | | seeing the letter, hearing its sound, getting used |
| tongue from a very young age. What brought me | | | | to its size and shape. We both have a lot of fun |
| to write this article is the desire to get my | | | | doing this and the time passes by quickly. The |
| Hebrew speaking son to increase his literacy in | | | | nice side of letters appeal to the kinesthetic side |
| English despite the fact that he is only two years | | | | of learning. Children enjoy feeling its texture, size |
| old. | | | | and shape. |
| The sooner parents and teachers begin reading to | | | | The next step: simple readers. |
| children, the better. Even if you have only a | | | | Use readers that only have a few words to a |
| limited period of time to spend with your children, | | | | page and not more than ten pages. Gradually |
| then read, read, read. Aim for a 15 minute reading | | | | work your way up. Slowly, your young ELLs will |
| period every day. Children who are read to | | | | realize the connection between the word and its |
| develop better language skills,their imaginations and | | | | sound but for now, follow the word. Point to the |
| ability to think. | | | | pictures and say the object. Dr. Suess' early |
| There are many materials you can use to raise | | | | series are best for this young age. My son enjoys |
| the level of literacy of your young ELLs. Here are | | | | hearing the silly rhythm and rhyme. |
| some starters: | | | | Final words |
| ABC letters | | | | If you can instill in your young children a love for |
| These can come in all forms, shapes and sizes. I | | | | learning and an excitement for it, that is your gift. |
| particularly like the alphabet set that are | | | | The rest will come naturally. |