Literacy Knowledge

Literacy knowledge is something that grows gradually as children experience more and more different kinds of texts throughout their lives. As kids grow, they start to notice all the different types of books, genres, printed materials, and text features they see around them. This understanding of how texts work and how print is organized builds the important foundation for literacy (Dieter, 2022c). For example, most children who have been around books know how to open them and turn the pages from left to right. Without this early experience, a child might not know how to handle books or follow the writing in the correct order.

Experts agree that for children to truly understand what they read, they need strong literacy knowledge — meaning they need to understand the purpose of different texts, recognize their features, and know the rules of how texts are put together (Dieter, 2022c). Like other important language skills, this knowledge develops with practice and over time. This solid foundation helps children improve their reading comprehension as they continue to learn.

How can parents help build this foundation?
The best way is simple: encourage your child to read as much as possible! Literacy grows even after children learn the basics of reading. It’s important for children to have plenty of chances to read a variety of materials throughout their school years, including:

• Novels and stories

• Informational books about different subjects

• Speeches

• Poems

• Song lyrics

• News articles

The more your child reads different types of texts, the stronger their literacy knowledge will become — supporting their success in school and beyond.