Literacy in action

We can support our tamariki in many ways. Here are some examples of how children are supported within our environment.

Listen to me!

One of the greatest things we can do for our children is to take time to listen to their stories. By listening we strengthen our relationships and knowledge of our children. We also send a message to our children that they are respected and their contributions are valued.

When we truly listen we have opportunities to question our children so that they begin to tell us about things in more detail. We can support their vocabulary acquisition by providing them with words if they get stuck with the word to use. We can support their growing understanding of the ways words are used and what words mean. We can also provide other ways of expressing the same ideas.

e.g. Child- Dog runned and bited ball.
Parent- Oh did the dog run and bite the ball?
Child-Yah

Note how the parent repeats back what the child has told her modelling the correct way to use the words in past tense. By doing this she has sent a positive message back to the child that their story has been understood.

Parent- Was the dog being naughty?
Child- (Stares)
Parent- Was the dog a naughty, bad dog?
Child- Bad dog.
Parent- So he was a naughty dog. Bad boy! You are a naughty dog.

This example shows how we can help young children understand meanings of words and extend their range of words with similar meanings.

Talk to your children as often as you can and let them practice talking in a range of different settings. Children with a good oral vocabulary (who know and understand a range of words and know how to speak in different situations ) have an advantage when it comes to learning to read and write in formal settings.

The Merits of Reading to Your Child

Reading to your child is not only a wonderful bonding time with your child it is also an opportunity for your child to learn. Reading to children assists with language development because children are hearing new words and learning how those words are used in certain settings. They learn how language is made up and the patterns that occur. Reading allows ideas and information to be exchanged. Children can often relate to the experiences in the stories they hear. This often opens the door to some interesting discussions. Children learn about the unknown through books. When children talk about the content of books it is supporting the building of their understanding of the story or information. Children learn that books contain messages and that the story or information is constant from one day to the next. It doesn't change. Every time they read the book it will have the same words and pictures. This allows children to become familiar with story plots and characters, and recall details. Listening skills and concentration can also be enhanced.


When we read to children we are providing sound models of how we read (tone and pace). We demonstrate where to start reading and where to stop. We demonstrate how to handle books. We show that we like reading and that helps foster positive attitudes to reading in our young children.