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Tips for New Parents: Help Your Child Develop Reading Readiness

Parents know that they need to think about how they will help to prepare visit site here 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.