There have been a number of studies examining the effects of acquiring literacy skills at a very early age and the findings have shown that the earlier a child begins to learn the basics of reading and vocabulary, the far greater their odds for academic achievement later on. With these results demonstrating the benefits for success of all school children, the importance of early literacy for ELLs can’t be stressed enough.

Some researchers have determined that Hispanic and Latino families don’t always participate in Pre-K literacy programs, so their children may already be one step behind by the time they reach kindergarten. This isn’t taking into account the fact that English learner students may already be behind with English language skills when entering kindergarten.

Many early literacy programs are inclusive of a dual language literacy approach for young children to support a strong home language and to introduce young students to the building blocks of language, as early as possible. This initial phase of their education provides them with the vital fundamental skills for reading, speaking, comprehension, and the components of using language. The support of home language, the repetition of language, the words and meanings that comprise it, is of paramount importance in developing early literacy skills.

The Latino Family Literacy Project understands the importance of early literacy and has developed a bilingual literacy program specifically designed for preschool children. The program uses award-winning books in the curriculum. You can preview a few of the preschool books used in the program on our website.