Preschoolers' Emerging Literacy

Parenting Tip: Use musical pretend play to discover shapes, sounds, creatures, and new words!

Why?

Creativity and Communication are part of literacy development.  (Your child uses these skills in Kindermusik classes during activities like: Out Here on the Sea – where he goes looking for sea creatures & things in his curler/binoculars during a pretend sailing trip). 

Recognizing shapes is a pre-literacy skill (Like discovering shapes during a pretend game about 'instrument treasure').

The more language a child knows the more she is able to think about things not present. Strong language and vocab skills support comprehension, listening, reading, speaking, writing – all skills essential for literacy.

Print Awareness helps your child realize that all of those curved and straight lines have meaning… (like when she tells you a list of things that pirates do, and you write that list for her to see). 

How?

Be a pirate! 

Then, use some Dragon Logic. 

What if you play your own version of Out Here on the Sea (from Kindermusik's Make Believe CD)?  You can use hand-binoculars (or toilet paper tubes, or other cylindrical items) to look all around as your pretend vessel sails the seas. 

What if you helped your child make a list of all of the things that were seen?  (more 'print awareness!')

Want to Learn More?On our blog - learn ways to make every day 'Read Across America (or the World!) Day.'

Kindermusik 7-Year Continuum:

As a Kindermusik baby, your child heard labeling when a new picture or concept was presented.  In Kindermusik toddler classes, your child furthered her understanding of those concepts & things by exploring them together with you, through movement and play.  Now, as a preschooler, your child plays musical games that allow him to recognize shapes, imaginary creatures 'out on the sea,' and he notices that when you write things down on paper, or white board, those squiggles have some sort of meaning.  As a big kid in Young Child classes, your child will use the many pre-literacy skills gained in early Kindermusik experiences to help decode music notes & symbols.