How to Enhance Pre-Reading Skills

Learning to read is an exciting accomplishment in a child's life. Unlike talking, reading doesn't come naturally. Literacy skills take practice and need to be developed over time. The informed parent has ample opportunities to enhance pre-reading skills in their young children.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Introduce matching. Matching is one of the earliest pre-reading skills to teach. Complete puzzles to increase matching and enhance attention skills. This will help children to match pictures, letters and words in books.

2. Expose children to books to enhance pre-reading skills. Allow your child to handle books, turn pages and play with books. Read to your child every day and leave age-appropriate books around the house for him to explore.

3. Increase your child's awareness of print. Point out her name in forms, signs and books. Let her watch you when you write lists, sign your name on a check or write letters. Write her name on a picture she draws.

4. Develop your child's alphabet awareness to enhance pre-reading skills. Put magnetic letters on the refrigerator, play with blocks that have the alphabet on them and write letters on paper and chalk boards for her to see.

5. Teach your child about sound awareness. Have an alphabet poster that you can work on naming letters and corresponding sounds. Point out sounds in the environment such as, "A snake makes an 'S' sound."

Tips & Warnings

• Children who are in their preschool years or younger learn best in play-based situations rather than workbooks or structured programs.
• Look into your local libraries to find out if they have storytime for young children.

Who Can Help:

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Resources

• Check out The Child Literacy Centre website for more good information.