Is Your Home Literacy Friendly?

According to Get Ready to Read!, learning to read begins way before a child enters school.  As a child's first teacher, parents can ensure that children are exposed to things that promote strong pre-reading skills.  Wondering what you can do to establish a supportive environment for your child's reading at  home? 

This checklist provided by Get Ready to Read! helps you to identify what supportive strategies and what you can improve upon.   The checklist has you answer "true" or "false" to items such as:

• I or another adult in the house read a picture book with my child at least once a week.
• I or another adult in the house help my child learn to write letters of the alphabet.
• My child has at least one alphabet book (e.g., Dr. Seuss's ABC book).
• My child sees me or another adult in the house reading books, magazines or the newspaper at least once a week.

After completing the survey, count up the number of items marked as "true."  The scoring guide gives you an idea of how you are doing:

30 - 37 Home literacy environment has most of the necessary supportive elements

20 - 29 Home literacy environment has many supportive elements

11 - 19 Home literacy environment has some supportive elements

0 - 10 Home literacy environment needs improvement