4 signs your children are ready to read - Smart Tales

4 signs your children are ready to read

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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 children are ready to read?

The way children show signs of walking, the same thing happens when they are ready to read. Children show 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.

4 signs to understand if your children are ready to read

1. Motivation

Children 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.

2. Learning about the concept of a book

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. 

children read

3. Recognizing letters

Before reading, a child needs to properly distinguish each letter and associate the correct sound to the letter. “This is a B, this is an O”, so on and so forth. Being able to recognize ABC will train him to learn sounds and to read. Given that children learn effectively when they are playing and having fun, we are going to suggest some super fun ABC games to play with your little ones. 

4. Phonological awareness

In other words, children need to be able to recognize the sound of words. For example: 

  • What is the first sound (letter) of the word rabbit?

Answer: /r/

(Below are a few game suggestions to learn the alphabet) 

  • How many syllables do you hear when I clap my hands to the word “sofa”

Answer: / so/  / fa /  /

Advice: teach children to break up words while playing the hand clapping game, articulating and pronouncing the sounds intensely.

  • Does the word “cat” rhyme with “dog”?

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.

children read

ABC games

ABC mug hunt 

(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 children how to recognize the alphabet. 

First of all, you’ll need the following:

  • 5 mugs
  • 5 small colorful labels
  • Scotch-tape
  • Something to hide ( marbles, pompons etc.)

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.

children read

Alphabet ball

(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. His smile will say it all!

Strike the letters

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. 

Discover Smart Tales

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

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WHO WE ARE

A passion for STEM starts at a young age! We help parents of inquisitive children with valuable insights and lots of trivia about science and technology to nurture the bright minds of tomorrow. 

Smart Tales is an award-winning app created by expert educators that teaches science subjects to children aged 3 and up.

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