Early Literacy Articles on Read with River

View this post on Instagram

People often use letter recognition and ability to write their name as the measure of whether a child is ready for kindergarten. I started teaching Kindergarten in 2013 and honestly those are the least of what I look for. So I put together a list of the skills children will actually need to succeed with literacy in Kindergarten. . . Not literacy related but being able to wipe their bum, wash their hands and, put on shoes is reaaaaallly helpful too. Just saying. . . #kindergartenliteracy #teachersfollowteachers #newteachers #firstyearteachers #kindergartenteachers #kindergartendraftday #preschoolskills #kindergartenartactivities #montessoriathome #momstagram #earlyyears #earlyyearsideas #eyfsideas #ece #earlychildhoodeducation #readyforschool #readyforkidnergarten #readytoread #raisingreaders #homeschoolcurriculum #learningathome #momsfollowmoms

A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver) on Nov 1, 2019 at 12:30pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

There is a common misconception that early literacy means being able to read and write letters and sound out words. Certainly that is PART of early literacy but it doesn't even scratch the surface of the many facets and layers of a child's journey to literacy. I have done a quick overview of one American system of understanding and assessing the stages of literacy. Here in Ontario when we assess Kindergarten literacy there is actually a lot more that we look for (for example understanding text directionality, rhyming, dramatic play, etc.) But that is way too much for an Instagram post so I think this is a good start to help interested parents understand what they should be looking for and what to expect. . My favourite stage is Early Emergent Literacy because I love to eavesdrop on the children reading the stories in their own words, or just making it up as they go. . . #earlyliteracy #stagesofliteracy #stagesofreading #earlyreaders #picturebooklove #homeschool #homeschoolideas #unschooling #kindergartenliteracy #earlychildhoodeducation #learningtoread #momstagram #kidsreading #readwithyourkids #readingathome #teacherreadaloud #teachersfollowteachers #raisingsuccessfulchildren #supportingliteracy#booksaremylife #readmore#preschool

A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver) on Oct 22, 2019 at 10:51am PDT

View this post on Instagram

Picking out baby books might seem like a no brainer, there are tons just grab anything right? You may find yourself with a stack of baby books your baby is not interested in. . When River was born we got a bunch of traditional baby books, and most of them went untouched. Some that were interesting to her were not built to withstand her tough love and didn't last long. . Picking out Baby and Toddler books requires finding something that will engage their attention, be easy to handle, have a sensory element, and built to last. . Here are some of our personal recommendations, all time favourites, and from the new releases we have been evaluating for #findmestories_bestof2019 our book club's juried list will be released in December, these are just our personal opinions. . . . #babybooks #nurseryinspo #whattoexpectwhenyoureexpecting #springbaby #layette #booksforbabies #toddlerbedroom #toddlerbooks #bookrecommendations #sensoryplayideas #immersivebooks #earlyreaders #1000booksbeforekindergarten #earlyliteracyskills #readwithyourkids #invitationtoread

A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver) on Nov 25, 2019 at 11:54am PST

View this post on Instagram

Children who have their own books are shown to perform better in academics, according to a study published by the University of Oxford. Unfortunately collecting books is expensive! So I want to share with you all some of the best ways I know to get your hands on free or cheap children's books to build a home library. . . The study was called “Scholarly Culture and Academic Performance in 42 Nations” published in 2014 by The University of Oxford. . . #momhacks #frugalmom #resourcesforfamilies #kidsbooks #teacherhacks #homeschool #homeschoolideas #lifeisexpensive #picturebooklove #kidsbooks #kidsbookshelf #kidsbookstagram #earlyliteracy #familyonabudget #cheapideasforfamilies #freebooks #readwithyourkids #readaloudbooks #readers #booklovers @annick_press @costco @chaptersindigo @michaelsstores #canadianmoms #canadiankids @kidsbookcentre #invitationtoread #montessoriathome #readingmatters #teacherlife #backtoschoolprep #raisingsuccessfulchildren

A post shared by Alessandra Requena (@readwithriver) on Aug 15, 2019 at 10:22am PDT