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Vocabulary:  Language skills and vocabulary, in particular, are essential building blocks of early literacy, later reading competence, and a broad array of developmental assets.  Children with a larger vocabulary are better able to access the meanings of words as they encounter them, and are more likely to have both better language skills generally and a larger store of background knowledge to help them decode and comprehend text.

Conversation Skills:  Children acquire vocabulary through informal and formal interactions with parents and other adult caregivers, and older or more sophisticated children; generally more interactions produce larger vocabulary gains.

Phonological Awareness: The ability to detect and manipulate the sounds of language is strongly associated with early success in reading.  Phonological awareness includes identifying words, syllables and phonemes (the sounds and segments of syllables).

Alphabet Knowledge:  The ability to recognize letters and learn their sounds, through alliteration activities, is a key building block to reading.

Book and Print Rules:  It is also essential to help children acquire positive attitudes toward literacy. Children's engagement or participation in activities such as reading with parents or teachers helps them see the enjoyment and value in reading and literacy activities.  Engagement also gives children early exposure to basic print concepts, including letter recognition, left-to-right orientation and the relation between text and pictures.