Exploring the literacy development in infants and toddlers, especially directed at Family Support Workers.

1. Literacy
Development in
Infants and
Toddlers

2. What kind of development?
• Neural Development
• Attachment
• Oral Language Development
• Motivation
• Early Literacy Skills (Growing Readers High/Scope)
– Comprehension
– Phonological Awareness
– Alphabetic Principle
– Concepts about Print

3. How to support development
• Talk and sing to your
baby or toddler
• Take them places, show
them things, help them
learn about the world
around them
• Have a consistent,
positive routine
• Share books with
them…but how?

4. How do you help parents get started
sharing books with their babies?
• Think like Maslow.
• Have age-appropriate expectations.
• Choose the right books.
• Have fun!

6. Your client makes these
statements.
How would you answer her and
where on Maslow’s pyramid
would you find the answer?

7. What to expect , when…
• As with any other kind of development, there
is a wide range of time when each child
develops a skill.
• Studies have shown that babies can hear an
recognize stories even before they are born.
• What is possible?

8. Much More Than ABCs book behaviors
in an ASQ timeline
“How a particular baby interacts
with a particular book at a
particular time depends on • Look over the behaviors your
• that baby’s style of interacting table has
with the world in general,
• on the baby’s past book- • Decide when you might see
playing and book- reading this behavior in an infant or
experiences, toddler
• on the characteristics of the
books at hand, and
• on the general level of • Place the behavior on the
development the baby has timeline
achieved with respect to
motor and language skills.”
Much More Than ABC’s by Schickedanz, pg. 29

10. Books that work for babies
■ Chewable books—soft plastic, fabric,
washable
■ Board books, or books with sturdy
pages
■ Books with simple, bold pictures
with contrasting backgrounds (helps
eyes focus)
■ Rhyming books or books with simple
songs (rhyme and repetition are
soothing)
■ Books showing familiar routines or
characters (i.e. getting ready for
bed—Goodnight Moon, eating, Elmo)
■ Lift-the-Flap books (7 months and up)
■ Point-and-Say books, where child can
name objects (9 months and up)
■ Touch-and-Feel books, like Pat the
Bunny

11. Books that work for toddlers
■ Books with more detailed pictures
and a few words on each page (i.e. I
Spy Little books)
■ Story books about every day
experiences—sitting on a potty chair,
playing with a new toy, or leaving your
toy at Grandma’s house, or bumping
your head
■ Short stories like The Carrot Seed
(toddlers need to move around)
■ Active books that invite them to
dance, clap, and sing along
■ Predictable books where sentences
repeat, words rhyme, or make simple
patterns
■ Lift-the-Flap books
■ Touch-and-Feel books

12. Have Fun!

13. Book-Sharing Strategies
Babies Toddlers
• It’s never to early to start • Don’t give up because they
• How to hold them and read are moving. Get ACTIVE!
• Keep books handy • Keep books handy
• Watch for cues • Let child choose, read
+ waves, kicks, reaches, frequently in short spurts
focuses on you or book, smiles, • Repeat favorites!
coos, grabs, points, makes happy
sounds, turns pages • Watch for cues
- Tightens muscles, looks + stays, listens, chimes in,
away, whines, cries, pushes turns pages
books away or closes it - squirms, wanders off, pays
no attention, says “no!”

14. So how do you hold and infant and
read at the same time?

15. The Golden Rule
Stop if you are not having fun.

16. Do you feel ready?
• To explain to parents how literacy learning
starts early?
• To help “read their child” and choose the best
times for book sharing?
• To help them choose books that will work?
• To show them how to actively engage their
baby or toddler?
• To answer their questions?

17. Questions or Comments
Eileen Hanning
703-528-8317 ext. 11
ehanning@thereadingconnection.org