85 percent of African American kids lack proficiency in reading by the time they reach kindergarten.
Children who are exposed to early literacy have a 32-million-word advantage by age four over children who do not get the same exposure, says "Dr. J. Richard Gentry."
“A CHILD WHO READS will be an adult who thinks. -Proverbs”
Why Is Early Literacy Important?
The truth is, every year fewer children start the school year on grade level. Add the fact that we've been in a global pandemic over the last 2 years and you can add even more students to that. 85 percent of BLACK students lack proficiency reading skills by the time they begin kindergarten according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP.) This is NATIONWIDE. (#earlyliteracy #readingisfundamental #knowledgeispower) I believe this is due to NOT being exposed to early literacy at home.
It sounds like it should be an easy fix right? Just read to your child when they're young and they will love reading when they are older, SIMPLE. Well, not as simple as it seems. It's much easier said than done. Adults who weren't exposed to early literacy as a child, typically repeat the same behaviour with their child. It's hard to perform or encourage that in which you don't know. Here are some benefits to early literacy;
5 BENEFITS TO EARLY LITERACY
It builds social skills
When a child is read to or exposed to early literacy, it helps to build their social skills. They hear words by being read to and they begin to form words themselves. In learning social skills, it teaches them empathy, how to listen and how to cooperate, which is very imperative for grade school.
It prepares your child for kindergarten
Kindergarten is the grade in which children learn how to read and if already exposed to literacy, they are better prepared and have a greater advantage over their peers.
It encourages early reading
Children who are read to are more prone to want to read or try to read early. As you may see kids at a young age, turning the page and mumbling as if they are actually reading. This is all apart of the process and is the benefit of being read to and exposed to early literacy because the child naturally tries on their own when a book is present, especially a book they enjoy.
It sparks critical thinking
Reading helps children to put things into perspective, helps children to draw conclusion and make sense of what's going on around them.
It builds self-confidence
When a child is learning to read at an early age or can read, it creates a level of confidence in them. They want to read all of the time, they're confident about reading to you and they are excited about reading.
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