Why Literacy Begins in the Body—Not the Book
Why Literacy Begins in the Body, Not the Book
You’ve probably heard that the ABC’s are the starting point of teaching a child to read. So this post might take you a little by surprise, or maybe it’s going to validate what you’ve always known in your bones.
Because what I’ve come to know, through classrooms and my own living room floor, is that literacy doesn’t begin with letters. It begins with the body.
Let me explain.
I’ve worked with children for decades, including with some sweet little ones who faced a lot of challenges.
Kids who were selectively mute. Kids who ran straight out the classroom door. Kids who threw chairs across the room or melted quietly into corners. Kids who used stationary pedals under their desks and wiggle cushions on their seats. Kids who needed me to believe in them before they could believe in themselves.
And still—none of it prepared me for my younger son.
He’s the one who cracked me open, made me grow, and truly taught me that before a child can regulate their emotions, they must first regulate their body.
I knew this before, of course, but I didn’t know it. You know what I mean?
But now I know it for sure. Before our children can hold a crayon or write their name… they must first be free to move.
Literacy Is Already Happening. Can You See It?
A toddler who shouts the last word of a song before you say it? That’s literacy. A child who claps their hands in rhythm while you read a favorite book aloud? That’s literacy. A preschooler who scribbles a line and says, “It says my name!” That’s literacy.
And none of those moments came from sitting still or tracing worksheets.
They came from rhythm.
From motion.
From story.
From a body in motion, reaching for meaning and connection.
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Trust the Body First
If we lead with connection—not compliance—everything else follows.
When we create spaces where children are free to move, to wiggle, to climb, to sing, to be... we begin to honor their natural rhythms.
This is especially important in the earliest years, when emotional regulation is still fully tied to physical movement and sensory experience. Telling a toddler to sit still and “listen” isn’t just developmentally inappropriate—it’s a missed opportunity. When we trust the body, we’re not waiting for literacy to begin. It’s already here.
Literacy That Liberates
True literacy—the kind that gives a child power to speak, express, and belong—isn’t about checking off a skills list. It’s about liberation.
And that kind of learning doesn’t wait for kindergarten. It begins in a child’s very first song, their first story told in pretend play, their first crayon marks on a cardboard box.
And you? You’re already teaching it. In the way you speak with warmth, the way you design your shelves, and in the way you follow their lead.
This Is the Work of Liberation
So the next time you wonder if you’re “doing enough,” remember: If you’re making space for story, rhythm, curiosity, and connection, and if you’re letting the child move and play and sing… You’re already nurturing literacy. And that literacy? It lives in the body first.
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