Learning how to read is a critical developmental milestone for any child. It’s never too early to start reading to your child. Here are a few reading tips for preschool parents to help your child become a happy and confident reader.
Reading Tips For Preschool Parents
Whether you are a single parent or have a partner, it is important to take steps crucial steps to teach your child how to read. Below are a few reading tips for preschool parents.
Start Simple
Pre-reading skills are a great place to start teaching your child how to read. Start by teaching simple actions such as the direction to turn the pages, how to hold a book and moving a finger underneath the words. The best way to introduce your child to these skills is by reading books aloud early on and keeping conversations about reading engaging and positive. Beginning with this simple start will help them enjoy the advantages of preschool.
Let Your Kids Choose Their Own Book
Children love to feel involved in the learning process so giving them the freedom to pick their own book helps them engage with reading. Study various covers of age-appropriate books with your child and allow them to choose which ones they like best.
Word Games
Verbal games help a child to hear and identify the beginning and end sounds of a word. Playing some verbal games will, therefore, help your child to develop the ability to comprehend the individual sounds in words.
Rhyming games, for example, can also be fun. Encourage your child to find objects around the house and ask them to come up with words that rhyme.
Leverage Media
Children love spending time with technology – from playing games on tablets to watching their favorite TV shows. Use your child’s screen time to teach them more about the world and build their general knowledge. Ask them questions about what they enjoy and talk about what they watch and do online.
Wordless Picture Books
Picture books are a great foundation for a child’s literacy learning journey. Ask your child questions about what they see on the pages. Through simple discussions with your child, they’ll begin to develop subtle nuances of inference, comprehension, and prediction that are realized in language.
Express Yourself
When reading books with your child, do it with enthusiasm. Try different voices and be creative when different characters are speaking, for example. It also helps to dramatize sound effects such as animal
noises and loud bangs and ask your child to try and repeat the sounds.
Point Out Print
We see words everywhere we go. Form street signs to newspaper articles and packaging on food, there are new words your preschooler can discover each day. Ask your child if they recognize any sounds or letters if they struggle and keep it interactive. It also helps to explain to your kids the meaning of any new words they encounter to boost their vocabulary.
Bottom Line
As you are going through your child’s preschool checklist, also include some of the items above. As a parent, you should make some effort to provide a solid foundation for your child’s later reading success. These reading tips for preschool parents offer great ways to develop your child’s ability to read. Read to your child often and they’ll be able to recognize letters and match them with their corresponding sounds all the while mentally storing word definitions and combining sounds with words.