Preschoolers develop their literacy skills throughout the day, not only during the scheduled “reading” time. Teachers use read-alouds as well as poems, songs, and rhymes to teach topics across all subjects, and classrooms are filled with signs and labeled objects which help kids make connections between objects and words, and words and letters.
In order to build reading skills, your preschooler:
- Recites rhymes, songs, and poems.
- Is surrounded by words and labeled objects in his classroom.
- Begins to recognize letters and their sounds.
- Reads, listens to, and talks about books.
Reading Activities
- Make Character Puppets: Create sock or brown paper bag puppets of your child’s favorite characters in books you read together. Use the puppets to act out the stories with your child.
- Make Up Stories: Tell your child stories about your childhood and make up stories together.
- Use a Computer: Identify and type out letters, names, and words.
- Make Letter Cookies: Roll out cookie dough into letters. You can also spell out your child’s name (and other words) with it.
- Rhyme Time: Play a game in which you take turns saying words (both real and silly), thinking of as many rhymes for a set as possible.
