What Reading Strategies Are Most Beneficial to Facilitating Early Literacy Skills?
Adult-child book reading provides an optimal context for facilitating linguistic growth and an ideal opportunity to familiarize young children with complex language and vocabulary. Verbal interactions during book reading promote the development of many different language skills necessary for literacy. Shared book reading heightens the childs awareness of discreet elements of written language and story grammar components (Kaderavek & Justice, 2002). The competencies developed during early book reading lay the foundation for knowledge about print conventions, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and narrative abilities, all of which relate to later academic achievement (Catts, Fey, Tomblin & Zhang, 2002). Incorporating a wide variety of books will expose the young child to a broad range of literacy styles. Ways to enhance book reading in young children are (DeTemple, 2001; Ezell & Justice, 2005; Saint-Laurent, Giasson, & Couture, 1998): • When choosing a variety of books to read,
