Parents know that they need to think about how they will help to prepare their children to learn to read. When should all of this begin? The surprising answer is that it may be far earlier than you think.
Many professionals have said that parents are the first educators. And, whether parents elect to traditionally educate their children or dedicate a significant portion of their own time, effort, and resources to homeschool their children, scientific evidence strongly holds that parents can, should, and do begin educating their children long before they consider beginning any sort of formal, structured education efforts.
Many parents, especially new and homeschooling parents, hesitate to "push" a child into reading before they are "ready." However, reading is merely a visual representation of the spoken word. And, just as we teach our children to talk and the appropriate words for objects and people, we can begin early to teach our children how letters (i.e., symbols) represent certain sounds, and when those letter symbols are grouped, they form words. This natural education process is less "pushing" than it is simple language acquisition. Some educators and experts refer to this process as pre-reading.
Pre-reading Leads to Reading Success
Pre-reading activities begin early and most parents aren't even aware they are preparing their young children to read. Parents might sing the alphabet song to help a cranky baby get to sleep. A child's nursery might be adorned with an ABC border. Colorful magnetic letters might litter the refrigerator waiting for parent and child to make words. These (apparently) unusual activities are what prepare children to learn to read.
Pre-reading is really all about exposing the child to both spoken and written language. Parents can set their children up for success without pushing by making sure that they have the maximum exposure to these activities. Technology has even given children a new opportunity for early learning called syllabics. Syllabics, which focuses on the sounds associated with all letters, or phonics, which deals mainly with the sounds associated with the consonants, can be easily learned with readily available preschool computer software.
Pre-reading, Games, and Conversation
Even before children learn to talk, parents naturally set them up for verbal communication. How many times have we all witnessed parents who talk to their children while dressing them? That parent might say something like "Here's your pretty pink dress!" or "Do you want to wear the blue shirt or the brown one?" Those parents who talk often with their children long before the kids can hold up their own end of the conversation are, almost stealthily, teaching their children pre-reading skills.
Another way young children learn pre-reading skills is through exposure to those well-recognized early reader board books. These books, made from thick cardboard and easy for less-than-nimble fingers to manipulate have simple, colorful pictures and short, basic words. They help pre-readers learn to associate words with objects and people in a different way than they were learning when they held an object in their hands while mom or dad told them what that object was or when they began learning that people had names and titles.
Measuring Pre-reading Success
The success of a parent's pre-reading instruction can actually be measured. In general, children who have had lots of pre-reading activity exposure begin speaking earlier than children who have not. Consider that research indicates that parents who speak to their children often seem to have kids who begin to speak at an earlier age. Parents who limit how much they speak to their very young children might notice that those children are "late" talkers.
Children learn quickly and naturally, given the opportunity. And, although parents might be hesitant to push their children into learning, they must also understand that it is their responsibility to give their children the tools they need to develop the proper pre-reading skills. Providing children with fun and interesting ways to develop language skills is very different from requiring a minimum number of formal teaching hours for pre-reading children. One scenario can be identified as learning fun. The second might be more along the lines of the "pushing" that parents are trying to avoid. Knowing the difference between the two can set the stage for reading success.
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