Ten Everyday Ways to Promote Reading Readiness in Early Childhood?

Answer 1

Several aspects of language development influence children’s pre-reading or readiness levels and are key in determining the ease with which reading skills progress. To prepare children for the printed word, fundamental activities in speaking, listening, and letter-sound recognition, can be incorporated into daily life.

Here are ten everyday ways to promote reading readiness that will be fun for young children and adults alike:

1. From the beginning, babies respond to sound. Repeating nursery rhymes, as they grow, is an effective way to emphasize letter sounds and words.

2. Build a children’s home library; storybook listening, especially at bedtime, is a calming way to foster comprehension.

3. Outings build spoken vocabulary. The more words, and associated meanings, children know, the better they’ll fare when encountering words in print. Whether grocery store or zoo, new words await!

4. Use puppets to build language skills, encouraging children to provide conversational sentences.

5. Use cards or blocks to name all letters and, for consonants, their associated sounds. Have children turn up cards, say letter names, later adding consonant sounds.

6. Fill a box with objects beginning with the same consonant sound, writing the letter on a small card, tucked inside. Children pull objects out, saying names, then beginning letter, checking card for accuracy.

7. After storytime, give children plain paper and crayons to illustrate their favorite part. Write some sentences, for them, to go along with their oral description.

8. With children, make a collage of magazine cut-outs beginning with the same consonant letter. Print the letter on the collage board and review the sound.

9. Have a household treasure hunt for items beginning with the letter and sound of the day.” Use magnetic refrigerator letters to announce.

10. Draw a letter on plain paper. Have children finger- trace and name it; use cereal bits and a glue stick to make a raised duplicate, further reinforcing recognition.

Any or all of the above can be used as time and circumstances permit. Without a doubt, children have much to accomplish in learning to read, and part of early childhood should involve getting them ready for one of the most important life skills they will ever need to learn. Just taking a little everyday time can be a step in the right direction!