Literacy Heroes: Reading and Writing for a Generation

A child is drawing (Image by fwstudio on Freepik)

Literacy is the ability to read and write and understand information well. Literacy has various benefits in everyday life so it needs to be started early through reading and writing lessons. This article will discuss the importance of early literacy and the role of parents in becoming literacy heroes.

The Importance of Early Literacy for Children

A child is reading (Image by freepik)

Early age is the best time for a child's brain development. According to Harvard University's Center for Child Development, 90% a child's brain development occurs before the age of 5 years. Therefore, good stimulation is needed so that the child's brain can develop properly. Early literacy is needed for children to develop their abilities, especially in thinking and understanding.

Early literacy is a basic skill for children in reading, writing, arithmetic, and reading comprehension. Research shows that when children get high-quality early learning experiences, 40% are less likely to fall behind in school. By having literacy skills, a child will be better prepared to achieve success in the future. They will tend to be more successful academically, more confident, and more active in learning.

Early literacy provides many benefits for children, namely improving cognitive, social, and emotional abilities. Reading and writing activities can foster children's ability to think critically and solve problems. In addition, this activity can also enrich children's vocabulary so as to develop communication skills. Reading activities can also foster children's empathy so as to improve emotional abilities.

Becoming a Literacy Hero for Children

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The results of the study show that literacy skills are very close to everyday life and can be built early on. In addition, children's reading skills can be influenced by the surrounding environment, namely the family. Therefore, parents have an important role as literacy heroes for their children.

Early literacy is obtained in various ways that can be done by parents. Research shows that early reading experiences, opportunities to build vocabulary, and literacy-rich environments are the most effective ways to support the development of pre-reading and cognitive skills that ensure that children are ready for success in school. For example, reading books aloud to children. This can introduce a culture of reading and new vocabulary to children. However, it is important for parents to choose good and useful books for children.

Parents can also do fun and interesting activities with their children such as singing and role-playing to develop literacy skills. In addition, encouraging children to write and draw can also be done by parents. This can be done by allowing children to scribble, trace letters and numbers, and so on.

As time goes by, parents can utilize technology to obtain information about early literacy and explore online platforms that offer a variety of interesting reading for children. Currently, there are many interactive e-Books and digital platforms that offer interesting and interactive ways for children in early literacy.

In addition, parents can incorporate literacy into their child's daily environment through reading course. This is because reading lesson can foster children's reading habits and abilities. In this case, parents need to be careful in choosing children's reading lessons in order to facilitate a literacy-rich environment such as programs Kumon Indonesian. 

With the Kumon Method, children learn to read from an early age, thus developing high academic skills as well as the ability to learn independently. Thus, when they grow up and enter the workforce, they will be able to find their own solutions to every problem they face. Parents can collaborate with Kumon to maximize early literacy skills.

Reading and Writing for Generations

A child examines a book (Image by freepik)

Ultimately, early literacy is part of a child's development. Early literacy is a basic ability for children to read, write, and understand reading. Early literacy is needed for children to develop their abilities, especially in thinking and understanding. Literacy has various benefits in everyday life so it needs to be started early. 

Parents need to be literacy heroes for their children through an interesting and interactive approach. Parents can also choose children's reading course such as the Kumon Indonesian language program to facilitate a literacy-rich environment. Thus, the culture of reading and writing literacy can be maintained for the current generation and future generations.