Materials for families and caregivers

• Are based on activities that are part of family daily routines
• Address a continuum of early literacy skills
• Suggest strategies for parents to support their child’s specific learning needs
• Build upon family beliefs and strengths
• Are based upon the view that families see helping their children’s literacy learning as important and rewarding for both their children and themselves

Activities for caregivers and children

These are two-page print materials with single suggestions of ways for caregivers to engage in literacy activities with their children during daily routines. Activities address a continuum of skills so that children can engage in activities according to their level of development.

For example, for rhyming, there are four levels of activities: Hearing Rhyming Words, Learning about Rhyming Words, Having Fun with Rhyming Words, and Using Magnetic Letters to Rhyme.

For making books, there are three levels of activities: Making a Touch Book; Making a Picture Book; and Making a Book.

Each activity also includes two levels of scaffolding suggestions or hints (To help her succeed and To make this activity more challenging).

The Early Literacy Activities for Caregivers and Young Children are available in English and Spanish. These materials can be used together with Early Literacy Bags. For more information, see:

Notari Syverson, A. & Challoner, J. (2005). Supporting early literacy in natural environments. In E. Horn & H. Jones (Eds.). Young Exceptional Children Monograph Series No. 7 Supporting early literacy development in young children, 43-58.

The Early Literacy Activities for Caregivers and Young Children have been field-tested by 20 EC and ECSE teachers and over 300 family members and preschool children with and without disabilities. Field-test sites include EC and ECSE classrooms in the Auburn, Seattle, Highline, Kent (Covington), and Franklin-Pierce school districts in Washington State.

Also available:

Literacy Activities for Caregivers and Young Children: Infants and Toddlers.

Literacy Activities for Caregivers and Young Children.