Why early literacy matters to us

Setting your child up for success in a system that’s leaving literacy behind.

One of the most important things a preschool does for children is prepare them to enter kindergarten with the knowledge and confidence they need to succeed. Of all the areas of development preschool can help with, pre-literacy is the most vital. 

So what is pre-literacy? And what makes it so important?

Between ages 2-4, children’s brains are starting to take in linguistic information: noticing its patterns, building vocabulary, and piecing together symbols - getting the vibe of language, if you will. And just like reading the vibe of a room helps you interact in it, these building-blocks give children a strong foundation to build from as they learn to read, write, and communicate in kindergarten.

The importance of early literacy can’t be overstated. It’s one of the largest contributing factors to lifelong health, wealth, and employment (it’s estimated that even a 1% increase in Canada’s literacy levels could boost our GDP by $67 billion). Those seemingly simple building blocks of pre-literacy have huge implications for the trajectory of a child’s life - and Quebec ECEs¹ are failing children in this arena.

Pre-literacy development isn’t a passive process. It requires active fostering, with language-rich environments and evidence-based curricula. It also requires teachers have the time and training to offer one on one support to foster interest and understanding. For the past few years, experts have been ringing alarm bells that our ECEs are lacking in all of these areas. The result is kids are entering kindergarten underprepared. It’s to such a degree that schools have had to change their teaching to work around the low-literacy rates (rather than addressing them), pushing their development back even further.

Recognizing just how vital literacy is, LRP puts pre-literacy at the heart of all of its programming. So how does LRP prepare your child for a life of literacy?

LRP strives to create a language-rich environment and curriculum, where students get the support and attention they need to build their skills. Our older kids (3-4) have pre-literacy lessons a few times a week, building those skills using evidence-based curriculums like Handwriting Without Tears®. For our younger kids (2-3), we have daily storytime. There’s actually a direct relationship between being read to and how ready kids are for kindergarten. The process is a naturally engaging way to expose them to language, story structure, and builds their attention-spans without being too taxing on little minds. Beyond dedicated lessons, LRP incorporates pre-literacy into its entire curriculum. As an example, teachers incorporate music into their other lessons, pairing new concepts with short songs that are easy to pick up. Music is exceptionally effective at helping kids’ brains build the rhythm of language, and pick up new vocabulary through repetition.

LRP is dedicated to giving kids the support, confidence and skills they need to thrive in their next stage of life. If you’re interested in learning more about our programs, visit our website for details at www.thelittleredplayhouse.com

¹ Early Childhood Care Centres