Reading Development; It’s Never too Early to Begin -

By Joy from the Southern Schoolhouse

There are plenty of easy and fun ways to support your child’s reading development—and it’s never too early to begin.

Talk to your Kids, but Not Baby Talk:

Talking to your little ones helps to create a language rich home environment. Simple conversations like labeling items around you or discussing the item’s purpose sets a foundation for future reading skills and outcomes. Going deeper and talking about the item’s characteristics, category (fruit, animal, etc), and other distinguishing features enriches the vocabulary even more.

When my babies were little I carried them in the sling. That put them within earshot of all my conversations (keep it clean!). Having them close also meant I talked to them more throughout their littlest years. These simple conversations help with future reading comprehension. Research shows that the more words your child knows before they start school, the easier it is for them to understand what they read later on. Talk with your kids!

Play I Spy and Other Games:

I Spy books and games teach visual discrimination, vocabulary and reasoning skills. These are great ways to pass the time on a car trip or in the waiting room of the Doctor’s office. Another oldie but goodie is 20 questions or collecting the alphabet from road signs. These simple and old-fashioned games all work to build up reading skills.

Reading Rhymes and Pig Latin:

Remember the old nursery rhymes and sound manipulation games? These are perfect to develop phonemic awareness. Read rhyming books, sing rhyming songs and play simple rhyming games to help build reading and future spelling skills. Turns out that our child language “Pig Latin” is great for developing sound awareness and manipulation. “Read to me” in Pig Latin would be: “Eadray otay emay.”

Here’s how it’s broken down:

Read → Eadray (move the “R” to the end and add “ay”)
To → Otay
Me → Emay

They will think they are speaking their own language. Little do they know they are developing reading skills.

TV and Tablet in Small Doses Please:

If TV or the tablet is a part of their day, add the closed captions. Another plug (NOT GETTING PAID FOR THIS) is Reading Eggs. This digital program is amazing for reading development and very engaging. It is also great for struggling readers.

As a mom of four, I do want to note that it is exhausting to song-and-dance small children. So often we just want one meal or one peaceful walk. This often leads to putting a device in front of our little ones faces. I would encourage you to do this in very small increments or not at all. It is much better for reading development, to become aware of the world around you, to notice things, use your imagination and develop conversation and language skills.

Reading with and to your Kids; Make it Fun!

Establish read aloud routines in the home and have books available. A bedtime or nap-time reading routine is a great place to start. I had a stack of favorite board books beside the bed which later moved to picture books; then on to chapter books. This adult led routine can grow with your child. My oldest will still sit beside me if I pick up Harry Potter. He talks about how that was a special time for him. If you work odd shifts or cannot be there at bedtime, establish another time during the day, even if it is listening together to an audible book in the car.

As you read together, make it enjoyable. Discuss what is happening in the story, label items, explain big words, and ask questions about the events taking place. Ask your child how they think the character feels and what they would do if in that same situation. These questions, even if simple (can you point to the boy, look at his face, point to a clue if this book takes place inside or out) encourage reading comprehension and vocabulary.