March 2019 Newsletter

Early Literacy Tip Sheet
The following information is from:
MI Stronger Family MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Extension

30 minutes of literacy activities recommended each day
Literacy activities are more than just reading! Look for the opportunities to include reading, songs, word play and more games in your every day schedule! Literacy activities can take place anytime, anywhere! When you look for all the ways to "fit in" literacy activities in your daily routines it isn't hard to fit in the critical 30 minutes of literacy activities that experts recommend for school readiness.

In the morning:
Wake your child up with a special song - 1 minute
Sing "Head and shoulders" while getting dressed - 1 minute
Read the cereal box and milk jug during breakfast - 2 minutes
Listen to music in the car; sing along! - 2 minutes
Read the signs on the way to school - 3 minutes

During the day:
​Ask your child's caregiver to read to them - 5 minutes 
Listen to an audiobook on the way home - 3 minutes
Give your child time to practice writing - 2 minutes

At home:
Have your child “read“ to you - 3 minutes
Write in the bathtub with bath crayons - 7 minutes
Read a book as part of your bedtime routine - 5 minutes
Sing a lullaby at bedtime - 1 minute

Total of literacy activities - 32 minutes

Literacy activities should be fun and never feel like work. Make reading and literacy fun for your child and instill a lifelong love of reading! (adapted from "Feed me a Story”. Connecticut Family Literary Initiative")