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Start Early and Don’t Miss a Day!
One of the first signs of your baby’s emergent literacy development is when they seem to understand what you are saying. From the moment your baby begins to coo or babble, they are communicating. Remarkably, a baby’s brain possesses boundless potential; its storage capacity is limitless. The more varied and enriching experiences and conversations you provide your baby, the more their brain expands and advances. Early literacy includes the development of language, listening, speaking, viewing, reading and writing. Here are a few more ways to inspire your child’s early literacy development:
Infants:
Toddlers:
Preschooler:
- Engage in conversation with your baby throughout the day by having conversations with them while describing what you are doing.
- Sing songs and read nursery rhymes to your baby.
Toddlers:
- Provide opportunities for your toddler to write by scribbling on a large piece of paper with a jumbo or large crayon.
- Ask your toddler “Can you tell me about the picture you drew?” or “What did you draw or write?”
- Next, draw a picture of a dog on your toddler’s paper. If your toddler tells you it is a dog, write the word “dog.” This supports their emergent literacy skills.
- Sing the song “I’m a Little Tea Pot” with your toddler. Encourage your toddler to learn to sing and move with each action in the song.
Preschooler:
- While you’re driving or riding on public transit, sing, read signs, and talk about the words you see in the environment, such as store and street signs. Ask your child, “Do you see the letters in the words on the sign?” This provides a fantastic way to expose your child to the alphabet and words.
- Ask your toddler “Can you tell me about the picture you drew?” or “What did you draw or write?”
- Read a book for 15 to 20 minutes with your child every day. This helps them learn to listen and builds their vocabulary. You can also use the following resources to support engaging with your child:
- The Division of Early Childhood and Learning Developmental Standards provides information on the progression of learning and development from birth to age five. The Language and Literacy domain has suggested activities that encourage your child’s communication and early literacy development.
- You can also talk with your child’s teacher about activities to do at home to support the skills they are currently learning.
Parent Involvement
Parent involvement is greatly appreciated throughout the school year. Parents and extended families are often invited to participate in classroom/planning events, read stories, and sing songs in their child’s classroom.
If you would like to visit your child’s classroom, please contact the school director.
Parent Communication
Communication with our families is highly important to us at the Little World of Wonder. To maintain communication with our families we have a Parent-School Committee where our parents serve as liaisons between classroom families and our school. Our Parent Representatives share ideas and feedback and they organize volunteers for classroom and school events. We are extremely lucky and grateful to have their help in our community.
If you would like to visit your child’s classroom, please contact the school director.
Parent Communication
Communication with our families is highly important to us at the Little World of Wonder. To maintain communication with our families we have a Parent-School Committee where our parents serve as liaisons between classroom families and our school. Our Parent Representatives share ideas and feedback and they organize volunteers for classroom and school events. We are extremely lucky and grateful to have their help in our community.
School Events
Little Wonder Learning Center takes pride in being a multi-cultural learning center and we all have a blast celebrating events that are important to our friends and families. These events vary from awesomely fun holiday-themed festivals and graduations that celebrate the accomplishments of each of our students. Our holiday festivals include but are not limited to: Classroom Valentine’s Day parties, Diwali festival, student birthdays, Hanukah celebration, Kwanza festivities, Halloween costume parade, Friends Thanksgiving Feast, and more. At each of these special events, we celebrate our cultures and traditions. In addition to our holiday festivities, our center also participates in “Giving Hands” by donating fifty food baskets to families of domestic violence for Thanksgiving as well as Toy Drive for Christmas. We also partner with Seton Hall University in facilitating a coat drive for the surrounding community, such as Newark and East Orange for the homeless. We celebrate our Pre-kindergarten classes by honoring them with a special graduation ceremony.
Little Wonder Learning Center takes pride in being a multi-cultural learning center and we all have a blast celebrating events that are important to our friends and families. These events vary from awesomely fun holiday-themed festivals and graduations that celebrate the accomplishments of each of our students. Our holiday festivals include but are not limited to: Classroom Valentine’s Day parties, Diwali festival, student birthdays, Hanukah celebration, Kwanza festivities, Halloween costume parade, Friends Thanksgiving Feast, and more. At each of these special events, we celebrate our cultures and traditions. In addition to our holiday festivities, our center also participates in “Giving Hands” by donating fifty food baskets to families of domestic violence for Thanksgiving as well as Toy Drive for Christmas. We also partner with Seton Hall University in facilitating a coat drive for the surrounding community, such as Newark and East Orange for the homeless. We celebrate our Pre-kindergarten classes by honoring them with a special graduation ceremony.