Help with literacy skills

Here are a number of ways that parents can help children to develop their language.

They can:

• encourage children to express themselves by showing an interest in what they have to say
• encourage them to listen attentively to others
• help them to learn new words by explaining meanings of words of interest that are heard or seen
• take them on visits to friends, relatives; to other districts, towns, cities; to places of interest such as museums, zoos, concerts
• encourage them to read, and talk to them about what they have read
• read stories to them
• show an interest in their homework
• get to know their teachers
• encourage them to be selective in their choice of listening (radio, CD, internet) and viewing (television, DVD, internet) programs
• provide opportunities for letter writing and e-mailing to pen-pals, relations and friends
• let them see that you value reading and writing by reading and writing yourself.