| Think your child may be getting ready to start | | | | idea to start helping them to sound out the |
| reading? A child who gets a head start on reading | | | | letters they see phonetically. This will further help |
| has a greater chance of excelling in school, as well | | | | to develop their early reading skills. |
| as a greater probability of finishing college, versus | | | | Other Signs of Early Reading Comprehension |
| children who learn to read at a later age. There | | | | Other signs that your child is beginning to develop |
| are a number of ways to assess your child's | | | | his early reading skills include recognition of how a |
| readiness and their early reading potential. | | | | book works. Does your child understand when a |
| Does He or She Pretend to Read? | | | | book is upside-down that it should be turned over |
| One of the first things a child will do when they | | | | to be read? |
| have reached an age where they're ready to | | | | Does he seem to recognize that pages are |
| begin reading is to pretend to read their picture | | | | turned from front to back, and that when a book |
| books. This is especially true if you spend a lot of | | | | is closed the story is over? If the answers to |
| time reading together. | | | | these questions are "yes" then it is a good |
| Often children who are ready to begin developing | | | | probability that your child is beginning to develop |
| early reading skills will sit and follow along with the | | | | early reading skills, which can be easily built upon. |
| words in a book with their finger, reciting the | | | | Another great way to assess whether or not |
| "story" out loud. Obviously, unless it's a story they | | | | your child's early reading skills are developing is to |
| are intimately familiar with, the words won't | | | | pay attention to whether or not he's showing an |
| match what is actually written. But this is a great | | | | interest in pretending to write. Many children often |
| indicator that they are ready to learn their letters | | | | play at writing the letters in their names long |
| and start putting words together. | | | | before their fingers can actually form the letters |
| Recognition of Letters | | | | properly. |
| Another great way to tell that your child is ready | | | | Another thing to take into account when |
| to start developing his early reading skills is by | | | | assessing your child's early reading potential is his |
| how often he recognizes letters of the alphabet | | | | attention span. A child who can't sit through an |
| without any prompting from you. | | | | entire reading of their favorite storybook is |
| As children begin to grasp the concept of letters | | | | probably not yet ready to begin reading. |
| and words, they will often begin pointing out | | | | However, if your child repeatedly asks you to |
| letters they recognize in their everyday life - on | | | | "read it again" when you finish a favorite story, |
| their cereal boxes, on signs on the street and in | | | | that is also a good indicator that they're ready to |
| shop windows, and anywhere else they see them. | | | | begin learning to read on their own. |
| When your child reaches this stage, it's a good | | | | |