Pre-reading skills are foundational abilities that young children develop before they start reading independently. These skills lay the groundwork for successful reading comprehension and fluency. They include phonological awareness, which involves recognising and manipulating the sounds of language; print awareness, which involves understanding how text works on a page; vocabulary development; and understanding narrative structures. Cultivating these skills in children helps set them on a path towards becoming proficient readers. In this discussion, we can delve deeper into these key pre-reading skills and explore strategies to nurture them effectively.
Here are some pre-reading activities for children:
Read to your child every day
This is the single most important thing you can do to help your child learn to read. When you read to your child, you are exposing them to new words, sounds, and concepts. You are also helping them develop their listening and comprehension skills.
Point out print in the environment
This includes signs, logos, labels, and even the words on cereal boxes. Help your child learn to recognse familiar words and letters.
Play with alphabet blocks, magnetic letters, or letter puzzles
This helps your child learn the letters of the alphabet and how to put them together to form words.
Sing songs and nursery rhymes
Rhymes and songs help children develop their phonological awareness, which is the ability to hear and identify the individual sounds in words.
Play word games, such as I Spy or “What’s the Same/Different?
These games help children learn new vocabulary and identify similarities and differences between words.
Make a book with your child
This could be a simple book with pictures and captions, or a more elaborate book with a story. This is a fun way to help your child learn about the structure of books and how to tell a story.
Let your child draw and write
This doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Just let them scribble and doodle to their heart’s content. This helps them develop their fine motor skills and their understanding of how letters and words work.
Encourage your child to ask questions
When your child asks questions, it shows that they are engaged and interested in learning. Take the time to answer their questions in a way that they can understand.