Brought to you by the National Education Association
Recent reading research proves there are simple things you can do to prepare your child for reading success. Children need a foundation for reading. You can build that foundation. Your child needs to:
- Learn the alphabet.
- Understand that letters and words mean something.
- Build a listening and speaking vocabulary.
- Have many different experiences to relate to new words and ideas.
- Connect drawing and writing to reading.
Here are several easy and fun activities you can do to help your child get ready to read.
- Stick labels on objects in your home, such as the table or a toothbrush. Collect the labels and have your child put them back on the correct items.
- Teach your child nursery rhymes and songs. Recite and sing them together often.
- Play with words. Separate the sounds in a word (i.e. "mud" has three different sounds). Note how some words begin with the same sound (i.e. "dog" and "dark") or rhyme (i.e. "tea" and "me").
- Make up silly sounds and funny chants. Dr. Seuss books are great for playing with language and sparking the imagination.
- Look for letters of the alphabet everywhere you go.
Visit NEA's website to learn more activities you can use to raise a successful reader.
