Getting Ready to Read

Six Early Literacy Skills

Hints that help your child get ready to read in school:

Print Motivation: having an interest and enjoyment of books.

Hint: Make book sharing a special time for you and your child.

Vocabulary: knowing the names of things.

Hint: Reading books is a great way to learn words we don't use every day.

Learning about Letters: learning that letters look different and have different names and sounds.

Hint: Point out letters and their sounds wherever you go. The most
interesting letters to children are the ones in their names.

Learning about Books and Print: know how to handle a book and following written words on a page.

Hint: Point to words from time to time as you read so your child learns that you're reading the next, not the pictures.

Learning about Sound in Words: the ability to hear and play with smaller
sounds in words.

Hint: Sing songs and say Mother Goose rhymes together.

Narrative Skills: being able to describe things, to understand and tell stories.

Hint: Let your child tell you what is happening in a book or what will
happen next.

Growing Readers