The Benefits of Literacy

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 I don’t think it is uncommon to know that there are many benefits to literacy across all ages, but I do wonder if most have thought about (or researched) exactly what the benefits are of early literacy and beyond. “If the primary adults in a child’s life can learn more about the importance of early literacy and how to nurture pre-reading skills at home, the effect of library efforts can be multiplied many times.” (https://www.everychildreadytoread.org)


“Early literacy is defined as ‘what children know about reading and writing before they actually read or write.’” (https://www.stevenson.edu/online/about-us/news/importance-literacy/)


According to (www.everychildreadytoread.org) “there are 6 pre-reading skills for children from birth through 5 years of age.


  1. Print motivation: how excited and interested children are in books
  2. Print awareness: knowing how to follow words on a page, as well as how to hold a book
  3. Phonological awareness: the understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds
  4. Vocabulary: knowing the names of things, feelings, concepts, and ideas as well as connecting the words to real life
  5. Narrative skills: ability to describe things and events; being able to tell and understand stories
  6. Letter knowledge: awareness that each letter is different and comes with a unique name and sound.”


(https://curiousdesire.com/why-literacy-is-important/ ) states there are 15 benefits of literacy for society development:


  1. Literacy gives you the ability to make your own choices.
  2. Literacy gives you the ability to gain new skills and knowledge.
  3. Literacy keeps you informed about the world.
  4. Literacy can help you learn a new language.
  5. Literacy can help you understand more about your religion.
  6. Literacy gives you the ability to be more creative.
  7. Literacy gives you access to information about your own country and cultures.
  8. Literacy can open the door to new relationships and business opportunities.
  9. Literacy gives you the ability to make your own choices about healthcare decisions.
  10. Literacy is important for those who want to get involved in politics.
  11. Literacy can open doors when it comes to job opportunities.
  12. Literacy can help you discover new writers and literature.
  13. Literacy gives you the ability to have a stronger sense of identity.
  14. Literacy can make you more successful in life.
  15. Literacy can better prepare you for future jobs. 


If you are like me, you’ve known about the benefits of literacy, but there are only so many hours in a day! As a former educator, it’s shameful to say I haven’t spent everyday of Sophie’s life reading to her like I had planned, but it’s the truth. But several months ago, if not longer, I consciously made the choice that it had to be part of our bedtime routine every single day. Any other reading throughout the day is a bonus, but bedtime is for reading (and singing). She’s only 3 years old, but I have witnessed some powerful changes. 


Like her dad did, Sophie has a slight speech impediment. I say slight because I have had her evaluated and she does not need speech therapy. For the most part, I can understand the majority of what she says. Since we have prioritized reading (she doesn’t let me forget!), her speech has noticeably improved. I have heard many comments about how she can be understood much easier now. 


For me personally, a benefit of reading is to get to travel without ever leaving the comfort of home. In every book I have ever enjoyed, the author has used powerfully descriptive words so that I could easily picture the setting in my mind.


Another benefit to reading is learning new vocabulary words in context. On quite a few occasions, I have read a word I hadn’t before. Most of the time, I am able to base the meaning on the context of the paragraph, but sometimes I need to locate it in a dictionary. This happened many times reading books as a child.

 

Sophie can now “read” (she memorized them) 2 full books. My dream is one day we’ll be on a beach in Florida, I’ll look over my stack of books to see her reading her own stack of books. That dream has to begin being built now. Just because I didn’t start reading to her every day when I was pregnant, or when she was a tiny baby, doesn’t mean it is too late. It’s never too late!


I know this topic is highly controversial, but Sophie got a tablet for Christmas one year. It’s something her dad and I had agreed on before he died, so I bought it that next Christmas. She is obviously still too young to actually read, but I have noticed that the tablet has some pretty cool literacy features, including books! One day (she rarely actually uses the tablet) I am going to look into this feature more. 


If you want this option, the link below will take you to Amazon. Sophie’s tablet is the Amazon Fire tablet 8 with the childproof case. 


Check out the kids fire tablet here!


As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. #commissionsearned

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