Three key research conclusions that support seeking help early are:

• 90 percent of children with reading difficulties will achieve grade level in reading if they receive help by the first grade.
• 75 percent of children whose help is delayed to age nine or later continue to struggle throughout their school careers.
• If help is given in fourth grade, rather than in late kindergarten, it takes four times as long to improve the same skills by the same amount.

Key Six Pre-Reading Skills

(for children from birth through 5 years)

Print Motivation

• Being excited about and interested in books
• What can you do?
• Make sure book sharing time is fun.
• For children with short attention spans, keep it short, but read more often.
• Don’t get upset when they put books in their mouths.
• Read books you enjoy.
• Choose books about things that interest the child.
• Read with a natural, but cheerful voice.

Print Awareness

• Understanding that print on a page represents words that are spoken, knowing how to follow words on a page, and knowing how to hold a book.
• What can you do?
• Allow children to handle the book and turn pages.
• Use your finger to point out words as you move across the page.
• Pointing out signs in your environment.
• Read books with large bold print.
• Introduce the cover and talk about the author and illustrator.

Phonological Awareness

• Understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds. Hearing and playing with smaller sounds in words. Phonological Awareness comes before phonics.
• What can you do?
• Encourage your baby to babble, changing the beginning sounds.
• Sing songs. Clap along with the song. Use rhythm sticks and shakers.
• Do action rhymes.
• Learn nursery rhymes. For older children, substitute a non-rhyming word in place of the rhyming word and see if they notice the difference.
• Read books with rhyming texts.
• Play “Say it fast; say it slow.” Butterfly Butt er fly Turtle Tur tle

Vocabulary

• Knowing the names of things, feelings, concepts, and ideas. Knowing the meaning of words and connecting words to objects, events, or concepts in the world.
• What can you do?
• Any book will help with this, but choosing ones with words not used in daily conversation and nonfiction books are especially helpful.
• Label things.

Narrative Skills

• Being able to describe things and events. Being able to tell and understand stories.
• What can you do?
• Talk with children about what you are doing. Ask them “What?” or other open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a simple “Yes” or “No.”
• Ask, “What happens next?”
• Allow young children time to respond. Be patient.
• Tell stories.
• Encourage pretend play.
• Let them help you tell flannel board stories.
• Read stories with a beginning, middle, and end.

Letter Knowledge

• Understanding that letters are different from each other. Recognizing letters and knowing that they have different names and sounds.
• What can you do?
• Let babies play with shapes.
• Allow children to handle letter shapes.
• Learn the alphabet song.
• Read alphabet books and books about shapes.
• Books where you have to find things.
• Help your child identify the first letter in his/her name. Then find that letter in books, on signs, and other things in the environment.