LANGUAGE:
A PROJECT OF:
How Reading Works / Awareness of Written Words and Language
AWARENESS OF WRITTEN WORDS AND LANGUAGE
Teachers Call This Skill:
PRINT AWARENESS
Print awareness is the discovery that letters and words surround us in our daily life. Whether we are looking at the letters in our name, or seeing a sign, print holds important meaning.
Young kids must also learn how to hold a book, turn pages as they read, and recognize that print goes from left to right when reading and writing.
Children begin to develop print awareness as early as infancy and continue to develop print awareness throughout early childhood.
Signs of good print awareness are:
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When a child holds a book the right way.
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When a child distinguishes between letters and words.
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When a child writes scribbles on paper and asks you to read what they wrote.
WATCH & LEARN
Captions and Languages
To watch videos with subtitles: Click the settings icon in the lower righthand corner, next click “subtitles,” and then “English.”
To see subtitles in another language, after selecting English, next click “auto-translate” and then select the language of your choice.
TRY THESE ACTIVITIES
Bedtime for your child is a great time to wind down and listen to a story for 10 to 15 minutes. Your child will love to get your full attention! There is no toy or game on their iPad that is better for building their pre-reading skills than sharing reading time with a caring adult.
Be Intentional & Sneak it In
Find other times during the day to share quick five minute reads, like in the car while waiting to pick up a family member or in the bleachers watching a sibling play basketball. This is a critical year for your child’s pre-reading development and it will go by fast! As author Neil Parischa says, “Slipping pages into all the cricks and corners of the day adds up.”
Let Your Child Be the Teacher
Let your child be the teacher and show YOU the parts of a book: title, front cover, back cover and when to turn the pages. Empower your child to understand how to use a book by having to explain it to someone else.
Point to the Words
When reading aloud to your child point to the words with your finger along with pointing out pictures and details. Research has shown that children who had adults point to words while they read aloud to them during preschool had improved reading skills years later. This powerful technique helps children with word recognition and future spelling.
Ask your child to point to 2-3 words on a page when you read together.
Left to Right, Top to Bottom
It’s important your child understands that when we read, we go from left to right, then from top of the page on down to the bottom. Next time you read a book together, have your child use a small toy, such as an insect, animal or car, and move the toy across the page, from left to right, after you read a sentence. Show them how the toy is then moving from left to right, then down the page as you read each word and sentence.
Get Your Child Their Very Own Library Card
Visit your local branch so your child can explore the children’s section and feel like reading is a special treat.
Observe Me
Let your child see you reading! Tell them why you enjoy reading (to relax, learn or laugh). They’ll be inspired to imitate you.
