****As a parent, you have the power to ensure your child's future success in school by promoting early literacy from the day your child is born.

Phonological Awareness
-the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
You can promote phonological awareness by teaching your children rhymes. Point out the words that rhyme. Singing songs is also a great way to promote phonological awareness. Emphasize syllables.

Letter Knowledge
-knowing that letters are different from each other and that they have different names and sounds
Make your child's environment language rich. Point out letters and words on signs. Read alphabet books and sing alphabet songs to introduce children to letters. Talk about the letters that are most interesting to your child - like the first letter of his or her name. If your child's name begins with "T," help your child find the letter T on signs, food boxes, mail and on other objects. When you find a word that begins with the letter T, say the word and have your child repeat. Ask what else begins with T. Repeat this activity using the beginning letters of other things your child likes.

Narrative Skills
-the ability to describe things and events, and to tell stories
Ask your child to tell you about something that happened to him today; ask for more details so he can expand on his narrative. Ask questions that cannot be answered with "yes" or "no." This encourages your child to think and increases comprehension. Choose a book you've read a number of times. Read it again and at certain points in the story, let your child tell you what happens next.

Vocabulary
-knowing the names of things
Talk and read with your children. Reading to children is especially important in building a larger vocabulary because children hear more new words when you read books. Explain unfamiliar words rather than replacing them with familiar ones.

Print Awareness
-noticing print everywhere, knowing how to handle a book, knowing how we follow the workds on a page
When reading to your child, let him/her turn the pages of the book. Occasionally point to words as you are reading. Make your child's environment language rich. The more print they see, the more they will notice. Point out letters and words on signs.

Print Motivation
-a child's interest in and enjoyment of books
Read often and make it enjoyable. Make sure you and your child read in good moods, so the experience is a positive one. Stop reading when your child becomes tired or loses interest. Let your child see you reading for pleasure.

Six Skills Diagram