BostonPL_Sing: 11 eBooks to Support Early Literacy

Singing is one of the five early literacy practices outlined by the Every Child Ready to Read initiative. Well before they can speak, infants and toddlers understand a lot. The more words little ones hear, the larger their vocabularies will grow and the more they will ultimately be able to read and write. When we sing words, we slow them down so that young children can process them more easily. The rhythms of songs also emphasize the smaller sounds that make up words (phonemes). As we bounce infants to the rhythms of songs, and as toddlers and preschoolers dance and move to songs, little ones strengthen the phonemic awareness that they will need when they eventually learn to sound out words at school. And singing is just plain fun, which reading should be as well! Check out these books to sing, move, and read with your little one.