The Big 6 of Literacy: Building Strong Foundations for Your Child
As parents, we all want to support our children in developing the skills they need to thrive in school and beyond. Literacy is one of the most crucial areas of development, acting as a gateway to learning, communication, and self-expression. But what exactly does "literacy" involve? Let us introduce you to the Big 6 of Literacy, a framework that breaks literacy into six essential components. Understanding these can help you support your child's journey to becoming a confident reader and writer.
1. Oral Language
Oral language is the foundation of literacy. It includes listening and speaking skills, which children use to understand and communicate with others. From a young age, conversations, storytelling, and songs help your child build vocabulary, grammar, and comprehension skills. For example, describing what you see on a walk or asking your child to retell their day helps strengthen oral language. These early skills pave the way for success in reading and writing.
2. Phonological Awareness
Phonological awareness is your child's ability to hear and play with the sounds in words. This includes recognising rhymes, breaking words into syllables, and identifying the beginning sounds of words. Activities like singing nursery rhymes, clapping out syllables in words, or playing "I spy" games with sounds can help build this skill. Phonological awareness is vital for learning to read and spell because it helps children understand how sounds map onto letters.
3. Phonics
Phonics is all about connecting sounds to letters. This skill helps children decode (read) and encode (spell) words. For example, understanding that the letter "b" makes the /b/ sound allows children to read and write words like "bat" and "bag." Practising phonics might involve activities like matching letters to sounds, blending sounds to form words, or playing with alphabet puzzles. Strong phonics skills provide the tools your child needs to tackle unfamiliar words with confidence.
4. Vocabulary
A robust vocabulary allows children to understand and use words effectively. Children encounter new vocabulary through conversation, reading, and life experiences. The more words they know, the easier it is for them to comprehend what they read and express themselves clearly. You can support vocabulary growth by introducing new words in everyday contexts, reading a variety of books, and discussing their meanings. For instance, if you come across the word "enormous," you might explain it as "really, really big" and point out examples.
5. Fluency
Fluency is the ability to read with speed, accuracy, and expression. Fluent readers can focus on understanding the text because they don’t have to stop and sound out every word. Reading aloud with your child and modelling expressive reading can help improve their fluency. Encourage your child to re-read favourite books, which helps them build confidence and smoothness in their reading.
6. Comprehension
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of reading. It involves understanding, interpreting, and making connections with the text. Asking your child questions about what they’ve read or encouraging them to predict what might happen next can boost comprehension. For example, after reading a story, you might ask, "Why do you think the character felt that way?" or "What would you do in their shoes?" These discussions help deepen your child’s understanding and critical thinking skills.
Bringing It All Together
The Big 6 of Literacy highlights how interconnected these skills are. Oral language lays the groundwork, phonological awareness and phonics build decoding skills, vocabulary enriches language, fluency brings ease, and comprehension ties everything together. Supporting your child in these areas doesn’t have to be complicated. Everyday activities, like talking, reading together, and playing word games, can make a big difference.
At Sprout Learning, we understand the importance of fostering these skills early. If you have any concerns about your child’s literacy development or would like more ideas on how to support them, we’re here to help. Together, we can give your child the tools they need to reach their full potential and enjoy a lifelong love of learning.