Tips for Boosting Literacy Development in Young Learners
January 20th, 2026
There are so many great research-based tips online to help encourage literacy development in young children. Here we have put together a few of our favorites. They can be used at home by parents or in the classroom during different lessons and throughout the day.
- Provide the definition for new vocabulary words and use them often. Children will learn their meaning and begin to use them on their own.
- Read from books with large print so children can follow along with you.
- Point to pictures and read with expression. This helps children understand the meaning behind the words.
- Point out letters and words on the page and indicate reading from left to right to help develop concepts of print.
- Ask open-ended questions about the characters and events taking place in the story. This builds a meaningful understanding of the language, and children begin making connections between the text they are reading/hearing and their own individual lives.
- Incorporate singing into your day or lesson, which helps children with phonemic awareness (how the sounds in words work).
- Encourage participation by providing lots of positive feedback and praise, which also boosts self confidence.
- Serve as a model for your children or students. Model correct pronunciation, demonstrate correct intonation and expression (for example, your voice goes up when you ask a question), and show children how enjoyable reading can be by reading yourself and discussing interesting topics you read.
You can find these tips built right into the GrapeSEED program and demonstrated as part of the training. Teachers already using GrapeSEED can check your Teacher Resource manual to review these and other helpful tips.
Just remember what is most important of all: to spend time reading with your children as often as you can, helping them develop a lifelong love for reading and learning.
Do you have additional tips to share? Let us know on the GrapeSEED Facebook page.
January is the season of decluttering, but in schools, it’s about clearing space for what truly matters! This month’s blog explores how thoughtful organization supports multilingual learners and why strong language systems are worth keeping. A little clarity now can create momentum that lasts all year… and beyond!
The new year is a perfect time for reflection and renewal—not just for us, but for our students, too. After a long winter break, January offers a natural opportunity to revisit and reinforce classroom routines and procedures, especially in multilingual classrooms where clarity and consistency are key to helping all students feel secure and successful. For multilingual learners, routines are more than just classroom management—they provide language-rich structures that support understanding, reduce anxiety, and foster confidence. Whether students are newcomers or have been learning English for years, a clear and predictable environment helps them focus on learning rather than guessing what’s expected. Start the month by gently reviewing procedures: entering the classroom, transitioning between activities, participating in group work, asking for help, and using classroom materials. Model each step and invite students to demonstrate, using visuals, gestures, and multilingual supports when possible. Pair verbal directions with pictures or sentence stems to help students connect words with actions. This not only aids comprehension, it builds community and shared responsibility. Remember, reviewing routines isn’t about enforcing rules—it’s about resetting the tone for a peaceful, productive, and joyful classroom. Make space for students to share what helps them learn best and celebrate the positive habits they already bring with them. By investing time in January to revisit expectations with warmth and intention, you're setting the stage for a second half of the school year filled with growth, laughter, and learning—for every student, in every language.
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If you’ve ever looked at your lesson plans and thought, “There’s no way I can fit all this in,” you’re not alone. Teachers today face an ever-growing list of standards, assessments, and initiatives, all while striving to create joyful, meaningful learning experiences for young children. The struggle is real! So how can we honor curriculum expectations without overwhelming ourselves or our students? Read on for ideas and strategies! Start with What Matters Most Not everything carries equal weight. Identify the skills and concepts your students truly need to succeed, both academically and developmentally. Prioritize depth over breadth when possible. A well-understood concept is more valuable than one that’s been rushed and checked off a list. Integrate Across Subject Areas Look for ways to blend content. A science lesson can include reading comprehension. A writing activity can connect to social studies. Integration allows for richer, more efficient learning and saves time while deepening student understanding. Protect Time for Play, Talk, and Joy Children learn best when they are engaged and emotionally connected to content. Carve out time for class discussions, movement, and creative exploration. These “non-academic” moments often bring about the deepest learning and are critical for social-emotional development. Be Realistic, Not Perfect It’s okay if not every lesson goes as planned or every objective is met on the first try. Focus on consistent growth, not perfection. Trust your professional judgment. After all, you know your students best. Support One Another Collaboration is key. Talk with teammates about what’s working, what can be scaled back, and how to share the load. A balanced curriculum starts with a balanced teacher, and that balance often comes from working together. Remember, you aren’t just covering content, you’re helping to shape children’s lives. When we prioritize purposeful, joyful learning over packing it all in, we give students (and ourselves) what truly matters most.. To learn how GrapeSEED English for Children saves teachers time so that they can focus on what is important, click here today!
