Reading Readiness for Three Year Olds
Three year old children are ready to be readers! Here are some tips to promote reading readiness in your home.
- Establish a daily routine for reading. Naptime or bedtime works great. Read to your child regularly. Children often enjoy hearing the same book over and over.
- Point to words as you read, show that words go from left to right by making a sweeping motion as you point.
- When reading a favorite story, pause and have your child fill in the missing word.
- Have your child help with the sequencing of familiar stories.
- Visit the library together. Encourage your child to choose a book to take home.
- Expose your child to lots of different kinds of books.
- Give your child opportunities to have ownership of books. Start building a family library.
- Label items in your home to help your child understand letters make words and words have meanings.
- Introduce your child to “ environmental print”- recognizing the signs for favorite restaurants and stores. Identify words on frequently bought items such as cereal boxes.
Here are some helpful hints in helping young children recognize and write their name.
- Write the child's name on a white board.
- Have the child match the letters in his or her name using magnetic or foam letters.
- Help your child identify the letters in his or her name.
- After your child is able to identify the letters in his or her name, model writing the name using a capital and then lowercase letters.
- Give your child lots of practice writing his or her name using a dry erase marker and a white board.
- Do not worry about the size of letters, give your child confidence in writing his or her name by giving opportunities for practice.
- Write your child's name on sticky notes and place it around your home.
- Encourage your child to "read" his or her name as he passes the sticky note.
- Make sentence strips and place strategically in your home This is Lydia's bed.