Literacy

Building Literacy Skills

Reading and playing with books is a wonderful way to spend special time with your baby. Hearing words over and over helps your baby become familiar with them. Reading to your baby is one of the best ways to help your baby learn.

Talking to your infant and toddler helps them learn to speak and understand the meaning of words. Pointing to objects in books and describing them as you read will help build their vocabulary. Having a large vocabulary gives a child a great start when they enter school.

• For infants, choose books that are brightly colored. Babies put everything in their mouth so choose books that are designed for infants and are made of cardboard, cloth, or plastic.
• Toddlers are learning to explore. During this stage, choose books that have lots of pictures that you can point out and name. Books that make sounds, move or have different textures are also great.
• Once your child is at preschool age, help your child choose books that are interesting to them. Listen to your child as they are playing, having conversations, or asking questions, to learn what they like.
• Once your child starts reading on their own, help your child find age appropriate books that are not too difficult so they are successful at reading.

Literacy Resources

Just Read, Florida! is the statewide reading initiative that prioritizes reading in Florida's public schools and among all the community groups and volunteer organizations that support literacy.

Just Read, Families! provides resources and guidance for parents on how to invest in their child's future reading skills.

Florida Public Libraries provide access to age appropriate books for loan to Florida residents.

Florida Literacy Coalitiion is a statewide umbrella literacy organization and the host of Florida's Adult and Family Literacy Resource Center, FLC provides a range of services to support more than 250 adult education, literacy and family literacy providers throughout Florida.