Many children struggle to learn to read not from lack of intelligence but because earlier foundational steps were skipped. Like a building, reading needs a solid foundation, and parents should start laying it around ages two or three so the child arrives in first grade ready.
What to do before first grade
- Teach listening and following instructions. Start around age one with simple requests ("Come here, give me the spoon") and make them more complex with age. To teach listening, listen yourself: stop what you're doing, get close, look the child in the eye and give full attention. Children learn from what they see.
- Encourage full sentences. By three or four, children can answer in complete sentences instead of one-word replies. Parents should speak in full sentences too ("Don't touch that vase, it could break" rather than "Don't touch"), which teaches grammar and builds vocabulary.
- Read stories aloud. Reading lets children imagine characters and scenes, building creativity, whereas heavy TV supplies ready-made images and makes them passive. Bedtime stories are an ideal daily habit, and a child who loves stories will want to learn to read.
- Ask them to tell what they did and felt. After an outing, ask about it: did you have fun, were there lots of kids, were you scared of the thunder? This builds expression and emotional connection, and children who feel their experiences interest others become interested in others' stories.
- Encourage observation. On outings, ask them to describe what they see and compare: is that sign bigger than the one on our corner, does this park have more trees than last week's? This builds vocabulary and the ability to compare sizes, colors and quantities.
- Teach new words through concrete examples. Correct gently, avoid baby talk, and explain new words using things the child has experienced; the author notes children can't handle abstract thinking until about seven or eight. For "artificial," point to a pirate's wooden leg in a story or the big fake nose on a clown costume.
- Practice spotting same and different. This skill underlies telling letters and sounds apart. Build it into daily life: hand your brother the smallest cup, pass the green plate, pick six tomatoes the same size. Keep it playful, not pressured.
- Build associations. Babies already link the fridge door sound with mealtime. Strengthen this with questions: your brother is crying, why do you think? Dad didn't go to work today, so what day is it?
- Talk about pictures. While reading, point out details in illustrations and ask what else the child sees. Children rarely describe pictures on their own without prompting.
- Read yourself and make reading exciting. If no one at home reads, children assume it doesn't matter. Read something you enjoy, talk about how fun reading is, and make learning time pleasurable. Children value what their parents value.
- Make them feel capable. Be patient, celebrate progress with praise and hugs, and never say things like "I've told you this word a thousand times." Learning involves many mistakes. Don't yell, and don't take out unrelated frustrations during learning time. Children seek out learning they associate with joy and avoid learning they associate with frustration.