Reading is essential for success in school and in life.

Research has shown that children who start kindergarten with good pre-reading skills are more likely to become good readers.

• 35% of children enter kindergarten without the necessary skills to be successful students. (Read to Learn, a 1991 Carnegie Foundation report)
• Children who have not developed some basic literacy skills by the time they enter school are 3 - 4 times more likely to drop out in later years. (National Adult Literacy Survey, 2002)
• 37% of 4th graders and 26% of 8th graders are reading below basic skills level. (National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2002)

You are your child’s first and best teacher and your home is where your child begins to learn.

• You know your child best and know what they like and don’t like. You can read their moods and know their capabilities.
• You spend time with your children every day. Children learn best by doing and they love to do things with you.

To become successful readers, children need to learn the code and understand its meaning.

• Learning the code is being able to notice print, know letter names and sounds, and hear the sounds that make up words.
• Understanding meaning includes knowing what individual words mean (vocabulary) and comprehending what it means when words are put together into longer pieces of language such as sentences, paragraphs, and whole stories.

You can help your child be ready to read by doing these five simple activities every day:

You can use these five practices to provide fun learning experiences for children of different ages and interests.

The Provo City Library offers classes each month to help parents and children learn about Early Literacy:

Early Literacy Parent Class: for adults
Last Thursday of each month from 7:30 - 8:30 pm in the Children's Program Room, #117.

Parents/caregivers of children ages 2 - 4 learn how to best prepare their children to be successful in school through talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.Class members receive free materials. Pre-register beginning the first of the month at the Children's Desk or by calling 801-852-6682.

Early Literacy Parent/Child Workshop: for children ages 2 - 4 and their parents/caregivers.
First Monday of each month at 10:00 - 10:30 am in the Children's Program Room, #117.

Four separate Parent/Child classes are offered:

Parents and children learn games and activities that support the five elements of early literacy. Each month will focus on a different element. Sessions repeat every four months. Pre-register beginning the first of the month at the Children's Desk or by calling 801-852-6682.