Promoting literacy in preschoolers is essential for their future academic success, and the good thing is, it’s easy! Kids love books! When given the opportunity they will jump at the chance to enter a different world with you. Here are some tips that can help you build your child’s love for reading. Have fun with it!
Read Regularly
Make reading a regular part of your child’s routine. Read aloud to your child and encourage them to pick up books to “read” independently when they feel like it. This means having a variety of books accessible to your child. Accessibility includes having bookshelves or baskets of books which they can reach.
Encourage Conversation
Asking your child open-ended questions and actively listening to their responses can help develop language skills and promote literacy.
Build Vocabulary
Help your child to build their vocabulary by introducing new words and concepts through books, conversations, and daily experiences. When you are speaking to them and use a word or phrase that you may think they are not familiar with, stop to ask them, “Do you know what that means?” Then explain the word or phrase in context to them. This way they will build vocabulary in a way that feels very natural.
Play Games
Play games that promote literacy, such as alphabet games, rhyming games, and word recognition games. This can help to make learning fun and engaging for your child. If you take a road trip, for example, you can play the find the ABCs game with your child. This is when you both start at ‘A’ and then look out for any billboards, license plates, road signs, etc. that have the letter ‘A’ in them. Once you have found ‘A’, you move on to ‘B’…and so on. The first person to ‘Z’ is the winner.
Create a Print-Rich Environment
Create a print-rich environment in your home by displaying books, writing materials, and other literacy resources. This can help to reinforce the importance of literacy and encourage your child to read and write.
Model literacy
Model literacy by reading and writing yourself. Children learn by example, so be a positive role model for your child's language and reading development. Incorporate these tips, and you will help to promote language and reading development in your preschooler, setting them on a path to a lifetime of literacy and learning. It may just help spark your own love for reading!
