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It’s difficult to foresee when a child’s brain is ready to make millions of connections that are necessary for comprehending a single word. So how can we know when kids are ready for reading?
Just as children show signs of walking, the same thing happens when they are ready to read. Children exhibit signs that we can define as “pre-reading ability”.
Here are some tips to help you understand if your child is ready to read. We’d like to report to you, 4 indicative signs and at the same time we suggest some simple games that you can play with your children that will make the whole learning process fun.
By observing these signs and engaging in supportive activities, parents can nurture their kid’s emerging literacy skills. Moreover, recognizing these indicators allows for a more tailored approach to introducing reading, ensuring the process is both timely and enjoyable for the child.
Kids need to be interested in reading, to feel motivated, before teaching them the right way and guiding them to make a bit of effort to use their memory and focus their attention. It is advisable to select a collection of books on subjects that the child will love and dedicate some of your time to reading. This way, you will build a strong bond with your child, by means of the book. Reading time should be experienced and cherished as an enjoyable and relaxing moment.
Children need to understand and be aware of the fact that readers pronounce the words written in a book, that each letter and word corresponds to a sound and that when they’re articulated in a row, they represent the text, as well as the story that you read to him. Even if the child isn’t capable of reading, he needs to pick up and grasp this concept. Furthermore, the child needs to be able to understand the sequence of the pages, that there is a beginning and an end, and he needs to know how to correctly hold the book.
This foundational knowledge forms the basis for print awareness, a crucial pre-reading skill. Additionally, understanding the structure and function of books helps children develop a sense of narrative and sequencing, which are important for comprehension. Moreover, these early interactions with books can spark curiosity about written language and its connection to spoken words.
Recognizing letters is a fundamental step in the reading process. Children begin to identify and differentiate letters, understanding that each has a unique shape and name. This skill forms the foundation for phonics and spelling later on.
Smart Tales aspires to elevate active learning by encouraging children to become engaged participants in the storytelling process. By accessing the app, classrooms will have immediate availability to over 1,000 interactive activities. These activities are designed to stimulate core developmental skills such as memory, attention, logic, and critical thinking.
Furthermore, the interactive nature of Smart Tales promotes a more engaging learning experience. By actively participating in stories, children develop a deeper connection with the content. Additionally, the variety of activities caters to different learning styles, ensuring a comprehensive approach to early literacy and cognitive development.
In other words, children need to be able to recognize the sound of words. For example:
Answer: /r/
(Below are a few game suggestions to learn the alphabet)
Answer: / so/ / fa /
Advice: teach children to break up words while playing the hand clapping game, articulating and pronouncing the sounds intensely.
Answer: No, they don’t end with the same sound.
Advice: to help a child develop his phonological skills, read many nursery rhymes and the sense of rhythm will help stimulate the child’s speech, helping him recognize and identify sounds.
(Activity for children ages 3 – 6)
Learning the alphabet requires a lot of practice and constant training. Games definitely contribute to making the work fun for children. This easy mug hunt game is a simple way to teach kids how to recognize the alphabet and start their reading journey.
First of all, you’ll need the following:
Choose 5 letters and write them down on the labels that you will stick on the mugs.
Show the child what you are hiding beneath one of the mugs and move them to the right and to the left, back and forth, quickly. Then ask the child to point out the mug where the little treasure is hiding, articulating together, the letter indicated on the mug that he has chosen.
Continue playing until he finds the hidden object, introducing the letter, one at a time.
(Game for children ages 2-5)
For this game, you will need a big and light beach ball, and a marker.
Start by writing all of the letters of the alphabet on the ball; the game consists of throwing the ball into the air and the moment the ball is grasped, the child will have to articulate the letter that his fingers have touched. It’s a fun way to get kids excited about reading, and their smile will say it all!
This game is suitable for outdoors during this beautiful season. You will need a water gun and you will discover that teaching while playing is the best way to learn easily.
The game consists of writing the entire alphabet on little cards and adhering them to a wall or a fence; the child will have to use his water gun to shoot the letters that you will announce. Have fun together, asking him to shoot the individual letters or the first letter or last letter of a word. Just let your imagination loose and share this moment of fun with your little one.
Rhyming stories are even more fun! Read the adventures of Peter the Farmer, Pip the Pig and Sue the Cow together with your child, taken from the collection “The Farm” with rhyming verses to introduce children to reading!
Peter the farmer
Pip the pig
Sue the cow
