March is National Reading Month, so to celebrate raising awareness of this crucial life skill we’ll discuss the links between speech and language development and early literacy skills. A number of skills that would fall under the speech and language umbrella are enormously important to the development of early literacy. What can parents can do to promote early literacy in their children, from 12 months (or even earlier!) through pre-adolescence? We’ll discuss that too. You may already actively do some or all of these things with your child(ren), but let’s explore some evidence-based lessons as you continue to stimulate your child’s reading development. Learning to read and to ♥ love reading ♥ is a childhood-long project for both children and parents and the work you do as a parent and this post aims to be another support for this noble endeavor.
Learning the Alphabet with Apps
Language DevelopmentThe back-to-school season is a great time of year to reassess your child’s progress and evaluate whether he is reaching his developmental milestones. If your little one is heading for kindergarten soon, help him get ready by introducing the alphabet. Children can begin to recognize letters around the age of two, but they are unlikely to master the alphabet for a couple of years.
As well, remember that all children progress at different rates. Ignore the mom in your child’s play group who brags about how she’s already looking into medical schools for her two-year-old. However, if you do believe that your little one might be falling behind in his developmental milestones, it never hurts to have him evaluated by a speech-language pathologist (SLP) for a possible speech and language disorder. You can also look into the resources in Speech Buddies University for parents. And in the meantime, help your child prepare for his academic career by focusing on the basics: the alphabet. Here are some alphabet apps that can help you and your child prep for school.