Literacy is about more than reading and writing skills. Literacy skills help you to make sense of your world. These skills include:

• being able to read and write
• being able to use math and numbers
• being able to use computers
• being able to communicate with others
• being able to understand images and symbols

Your child will start learning literacy skills as soon as they are born (e.g., they can tell you when they are hungry by crying). Your baby is learning literacy skills when they say their first words, listen to you read a book, and sing along to songs.

There are many different things you can do with your children that increase literacy skills. Did you know that spending 15 minutes a day reading and doing activities or crafts with your child will help develop their literacy skills? Here are some other things you can do with your child to help build literacy skills.

• Talk to your baby
• Sing the ABCs or 123s
• Ask children questions
• Teach nursery rhymes
• Make up songs together
• Play games in the car together
• Describe road signs to one another
• Make up plays together as a family
• Plan a family trip and follow the route on a map
• Write a letter to a friend or family member

By helping develop your child’s literacy skills, you are:

• developing your child’s love of reading and learning
• building your child’s respect for you as a parent and teacher
• strengthening the bond between you and your child
• preparing your child to do well at school