Early literacy is one of the most important things to focus on for children’s development and success. Though most kids aren’t able to read on their own before age five (totally normal), setting a strong foundation during the first few years is crucial for success in school and life.

Beyond reading, speaking develops valuable preliteracy skills. According to the Read to Me Project, caregivers should talk to children under five as much as possible because 85 percent of brain development occurs in this phase. To help build speaking skills, reading specialist and literacy coach Ruth Benge recommends repeating what toddlers say “slowly and clearly, in a calm, warm and normal tone of voice” while “rephrasing to use the words correctly with adult grammar”: e.g., Toddler: “Me go,” Adult: “You’re saying you want to go?” “Studies show that the more direct words a little one hears before they start kindergarten, the easier school will be for them,” says Read to Me Project Executive Director Jason Little. One part of this nonprofit’s work with fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in low-literacy school districts is coaching them on the nine best ways to read to young children and providing specially curated books for them to read to their siblings under five each day, nurturing relationships while offering literacy enrichment. 

Seventy-five percent of children in Monterey County start kindergarten at least two years behind in basic skills. “Schools don’t expect kids to come in reading but learning their letters and practicing sounds, for example, rhyming, before starting formal school is very important,” said Heather Zunguze, elementary intervention teacher at Robert H. Down Elementary School trained in math and English. Ruth Benge of California State University Monterey Bay’s Center for Reading Diagnosis and Instruction (CSUMB’s CRDI) suggests caregivers of children three and under “sing songs with hand motions and let kids ‘sing along’ while clapping with the song’s rhythm.” Benge recommends that caregivers of pre kindergarteners “play with sounds inside words: sort pictures and objects by the sound or sounds in the name of each object and engage in ‘robot talk’ when the adult makes a robot-sounding puppet say the sounds ‘fff’ ‘iiii’ ‘shhh’ and children say ‘fish.’” Another pre-K caregiver priority that Benge suggests is to read aloud referencing the print, “running fingers under words, noting specific features of print and letter (e.g., “That is the letter ‘d,’ like in Deondre’s name.”), and asking children where to start reading and where to go next at the end of the line of text.”

Benge recommends always keeping books and writing materials easily accessible to children. Bonus: connect materials to the child’s interests, background, and cultural experiences. “Remember low-tech is best—skip ebooks,” she adds. Libraries offer many free literacy-promoting programs for children as well as new-to-you books. As of springtime, the Monterey Public Library will offer locker pickup locations to make borrowing books more convenient—grab your requested books while you’re near the Monterey Sports Center or Montecito Park without having to make it to the library during business hours.

Beyond borrowing books, there are easy ways to build your home library: To start off strong, members of the Monterey Bay Parent Baby Club (for children up to 18 months) receive a voucher for a free book. Through the national Reach Out and Read program that recognizes the vital importance of reading, popular pediatricians such as Monterey Peninsula Pediatric Medical Group and Stanford Medicine Children’s Health-Monterey give each child a book at all well-child visits between six months and five years old. Peruse Little Free Libraries around town. Traditional libraries offer seasonal reading challenges that often reward participants with a free take-home book. 

If your four-year-old or older student (up to twelfth grade) needs some extra reading support beyond school-based options, join the waitlist for the CSUMB Center for Reading Diagnosis and Instruction. The CRDI offers support to striving readers, including English language learners and children with disabilities or mild-to-moderate autism. Services include goal-setting tailored to each child, ongoing growth/performance progress monitoring, and individual and small group instruction, all based on evidence-based strategies and curriculum. In-person and Zoom instruction are offered in the fall, spring, and summer, and tuition assistance is available. 

Choose a few new literacy-promoting approaches to try with the young children in your life.