Literacy development starts very early and continues throughout an individual’s life. Even as an infant, a child can begin to communicate and to undertake what are called pre-literacy activities. Hispanic parents can play an important role in developing early literacy, and even early bilingual literacy with their infants.

Some of the basic ways to develop infant literacy growth are to listen to, play with, talk to, and read to infants. A 2007 Harvard Family Research Study showed that “the extent of English and/or Spanish use in the home did not relate to child development; rather, the amount of talking and book reading by parents mattered—regardless of the language spoken.” This is good news for Hispanic parents; infants begin to develop an understanding of sounds, verbal communication, and language as a tool regardless of the language you are using. Reading bilingual books to young children is an ideal way to help them hear both of the languages that will be important to them in their lives and can help Spanish speaking parents build language skills as well. Cardboard or cloth books with big pictures are great for infants. The US Department of Education recommends that you “read to your baby for short periods several times a day.” Even at a few months of age, babies can begin to develop an awareness of and an appreciation for books and reading time.

If you are a Hispanic parent who wants to foster infant literacy, you can also talk with your baby frequently in either Spanish or English or both, if possible. Watch for patterns in your baby’s sounds and movements; how does she or he communicate their various needs to you? By learning about and responding to these signals, you are teaching them that communication is real, possible, and powerful. Listen to the babbling and cooing noises that come naturally from your infant and repeat them back to them. This lays the groundwork for conversation. The non-profit Zero to Three describes a baby’s early experience with communication as follows, “When you understand my signals, I feel loved and special.” For a baby, learning to make sounds and realizing that sounds are useful are very important, and Hispanic parents can support this understanding in Spanish and/or English. Even a simple game of “peek-a-boo” requires a call and response type of communication and enforces early literacy development in infants. Hispanic parents can celebrate, support, and enjoy their infant’s early efforts at communication.

Lectura Books has exceptional bilingual children’s books for Infant & Toddler and Preschool that will encourage Spanish and English speaking parents to read to their young children. The bold illustrations will foster important dialogue and back-and-forth verbal exchange.