Pre-Reading Activity

If you want to start working with your little one on being able to read then the first order of business is to READ TO THEM!  Children love being read to and they love to read.  But when they read they need to know that it is OKAY to make up words for all the pictures.  Cozy up next to them and ask them to read you a book.  If they say “I dont know how to read” then ask them to make up words and explain to them that that is what the writer of the book (or the author) did.  Explain that “When Mommy/Daddy reads I read the words the author wrote, but I want to hear your story.”  You want them to start telling you about the things they see for several reasons….they will start to understand that print carries a meaning, they will learn that they can use picture clues to help them read, they will start to comprehend the sequence of a story line, and many other pre-reading skills 🙂