5 Pre-Reading Skills Kids Need To Be Successful Readers

Before we can teach our children to read, it is important to first build the foundation for lifelong learning and reading success.  Here are 5 Pre-Reading Skills Kids Need To Be Successful Readers:

 

 

5 Pre-Reading Skills Need To Be Successful Readers:

1.  Motivation To Read

In order to learn, children need to be ready and have the motivation to read.

What Can Children Do?

• Show an interest in books and reading
• Ask you to read aloud
• Pretend to read

What Can Parents Do?

• Let your child pick what book he or she wants to read
• Read to your child everyday (Find a story in one of these book lists for kids)
• Read with enthusiasm

 

 

2.  Language Skills

Children need to have language skills before learning how to read so they can describe things and share their knowledge and ideas.

What Can Children Do?

• Answer simple questions about a story
• Retell a story in their words
• Describe elements in a story such as the characters and setting

What Can Parents Do?

• Ask your child open-ended questions like “what do you think will happen next?”
• Have your child retell the story using puppets or a flannel board
• Encourage your child to make up his or her own story

 

 

3.  Concepts of Print

In order to learn how to read, children must understand how books work or concepts of print.  

What Can Children Do?

• Hold a book correctly
• Turn pages in the right direction
• Read from left to right and top to bottom
• Understand words represent a spoken word and convey a message

What Can Parents Do?

• Use your finger to track the words
• Point to the parts of a book such as the front cover, title, and author (Use the Parts of a Book Poster & Worksheet to help you)
• Let your child hold the book, turn the pages, and point to the words as you read

 

 

4.  Letter Knowledge

Letter knowledge is understanding that the letters of the alphabet have different names and sounds.

What Can Children Do?

• Name the letters of the alphabet
• Recognize lowercase and capital letters
• Name each letter’s sound 

What Can Parents Do?

• Teach your child the letters in his or her name (Use the Letter Knowledge Assessment to track the letters your child learns)
• Read Alphabet books
• Ask your child to identify letters on things in the grocery store or on signs around town

 

 

 

5.  Phonological Awareness

Phonological Awareness is hearing and understanding that that words are made up of smaller sounds.

What Can Children Do?

• Rhyme
• Count the syllables in a word
• Blend sounds together
• Segment or break words down into individual sounds
• Substitute one letter sound for another one to make a new word

What Can Parents Do?

• Sing songs and rhymes
• Play word games
• Reading rhyming books

 

 

After a children develop these pre-reading skills, they will continue to learn and grow as a reader.  They will learn about phonics, sight words, and much more as they establish the building blocks for reading success.

 

 

Preschool Unit Lesson Plans:

Are you looking for fun, hands-on activities for your preschooler? These Preschool Unit Lesson Plans include an entire year of the most popular themed units! Click on the picture to learn more about this resource!

 

 

More Resources for Pre-Readers:

Learning the ABC’s

Book List for Kids

 

Pre-Reading Skills Checklist:

Do you want a checklist of these pre-reading skills? Click on the box below to automatically download and print Pre-Reading Skills Checklist PDF: