Literacy is more than just learning how to read: it’s listening, speaking, writing and spelling, and it’s a major focus for all primary schools in Australia. These complex communication and literacy skills are vital in almost every aspect of life, from ordering dinner at a restaurant to delivering a presentation at work, so it’s no wonder we want our kids to succeed with their literacy learning. Help them get a head start with these top tips, as shared by primary school teacher, and literacy expert, Elizabeth Charlton.

1. Read Every Single Day

Educational books, flash cards, posters and dolls laid out on a yellow surface.

Exposing kids to books is one of the most effective ways to help develop their literacy skills – one study even suggested that reading a single picture book to your kids every night until they’re five years old exposes them to an extra 290,000 more words! “Make time every day for reading, even if it’s only for a few minutes. Read books to your kids or get them to read to you,” says Elizabeth. Even incidental reading, like reading a recipe or a birthday card or noticing signs on the street while you’re out and about, can have an effect. “It’s all about creating a familiarity with letters, words, symbols and sounds and getting them excited about reading.” When you’re the one reading to your kids, read with expression and be sure to point out things like full stops and capital letters. You should also ask plenty of questions, to check your child is understanding the story.

What to Try

2. Use Flash Cards and Stick Up Posters to Engage With Visual Learners

A young boy sitting at a table using flashcards.

Visual learners understand new concepts by seeing or looking at information, and they make up roughly 65 per cent of the population. For these students, diagrams, flow charts, infographics, illustrations, lists and tables are very helpful when they’re working on their literacy. “If your child is a visual learner, embrace it by collecting visual literacy aids – things like wall charts, posters and flashcards that teach sight words, phonics and the alphabet,” says Elizabeth.

Flashcards can turn learning into a game or competition, which works very well with some kids. Use them to play a traditional card game, like Memory or Snap, or kickstart a big round of Charades, with kids taking turns to act out the word on each flashcard. Flashcards also work well when used to quiz a child on the alphabet or sight words.

On the other hand, wall charts and placemats are a more passive way to learn. But placed in easily-seen spots, they are instantly accessible and can remind students of key knowledge whenever they happen to be around them.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: How to Improve Handwriting for Kids of All Ages

3. Encourage Them to Write and Draw

A primary-school-aged boy sitting at a white table using a pen and yellow sheet of paper to write a letter.

Writing is a key literacy skill all children need to develop: we want kids to recognise letters and link them to the sounds they make, as well as to hone the physical skills associated with writing (pencil grip, precision and fine motor skills). Once your kids are about eight or so and they’ve perfected writing their ABCs, it’s time to move on to more sophisticated writing exercises. “I would suggest daily writing with a purpose, as kids work better with a stimulus to get them started,” says Elizabeth. Try getting them to write a letter to a friend or family member, a story or even a birthday wish list.

What to Try

4. Build Their Vocabularies

A variety of literacy aids, including an illustrated dictionary, word games, magnetic letters and a lined whiteboard.

Here’s something super simple to try: talk about words with your kids. Explain definitions, spell words out on a whiteboard or by using magnetic letters on the fridge, or play games like Scrabble, Boggle or Bingo. “There are lots of things you can try at home, like making labels for furniture and other household items, or try creating posters of new words you discover while reading together. You can even draw pictures to match,” says Elizabeth. Extend the learning experience by using these newly discovered words to make snap cards or a match game.

What to Try

SEE ALSO: STEM Activities for Preschoolers that Teach Problem Solving

5. Have Fun With Rhyme

“Rhyme is really important in literacy as it’s linked to early reading and spelling skills,” says Elizabeth. “At the start of kindergarten, one of the first things we work on is phonological awareness, which encompasses rhyme, alliteration, syllables and segmenting words.” There are many ways you can introduce rhyme to your kids. For starters, try singing songs and saying nursery rhymes and poems together. Seek out rhyming books that you can read together – books by Aaron Blabey or Julia Donaldson are great places to start.

6. Engage With Technology

Technology is such a huge part of our lives and the need to be literate in a digital sense is increasingly important for our kids. “On top of reading books and writing with pen and paper, we should be teaching kids to use ICT [information and communications technology], and to interact and communicate safely online,” says Elizabeth. The kids are already Zoom experts (thanks COVID!), but what about writing emails, reading ebooks and online articles, watching videos and engaging with social media? These are essential skills kids need to learn, and parents should be supporting and guiding them along the way.

There are also many ways technology can assist literacy learning, with apps and online games designed to enhance burgeoning literacy skills. “There are plenty of subscription services that offer useful online content to build literacy skills in a fun and interactive way,” says Elizabeth. “Things like Reading Eggs, PM Benchmark and Scholastic Learning Zone, or there is also a lot of free content available like Storyline Online.”

What to Try

7. Get Them Talking and Listening

A felt farm storyboard with removable felt farmer, animals, trees and plants, and house.

“Speaking and listening skills are really important – they’re the building blocks to making good writers,” says Elizabeth. Boost these skills at home by covering up the text in a book and asking kids to explain the story using only the pictures as clues. Or get them to retell the plot of their favourite movie or TV show. As a family, try listening to audiobooks and podcasts together while you’re on a drive or completing chores. “In class, we do word association speaking games and these are invaluable for learning. For example, if we are learning about dinosaurs we’ll play a ‘Beat The Clock’ game where students have 30 seconds to come up with as many words associated with dinosaurs as possible,” says Elizabeth. “Or we’ll do a cline, where students are given a series of words and they have to put them in order, for example: giant, enormous, tiny, large, average, minuscule, microscopic.”

What to Try

SEE ALSO: The Top Mess-Free Activities For Your Little Ones

‍

This article was originally published in 2021 and has been updated.