Reading Development at an Early Age

Recent research on reading development further identifies predictors of reading achievement for preschoolers and kindergarteners. The primary grades including pre-kindergarten are crucial years for child development both socially as well as academically.

Here are some ideas that parents could use to help develop the early literacy skills that children need to be successful readers. The time that parents spend with their children prior to attending pre-kindergarten or kindergarten classes is invaluable to their initial and continued success in these types of setting.

Parents, here are some tips when working with your children on reading.

1. Explain the idea of the book such as that it has a front and back, top and bottom, how to turn the pages and hold it, and where to start reading.
2. Use reading materials that are connected to your child’s interests such as trains, pets, animals and sports.
3. Identify for your child all the things that can be read such as labels and traffic signs
4. Use different kinds of reading materials including books, magazines and flyers
5. Identify for them things that we use reading to understand such as menus, recipes and grocery lists.
6. Include lots of rhyming games, nursery rhymes and sing songs with your preschoolers.
7. Repeat passages until your child is familiar enough to read it with you.
8. Family members should model reading and demonstrate what they use reading for and why.
9. Make reading a fun and relaxing time so children anticipate reading time.
10. Reading and rereading the same books builds confidence in a young reader.
11. Use a variety of techniques such as magnetic letters, tactile letters, alphabet books, taped songs of the alphabet and materials to help children form letters.

Reading and reading comprehension are one of the most important concepts if not the most important academic concept to master and at an early age. Simply to be able to read fluently does not guarantee that you will be able to comprehend what you read. There are activities to enforce comprehension, some of which are already mentioned above

Developing the bond between parent and child may be accomplished in many different ways, and reading together is certainly one way with multiple positive outcomes.  Above all, take the time to do it as much as possible. Information stated above is extracted in-part from materials printed for an article in Educational Research Service, 2007, Focus on Teaching and Testing Early Reading.

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