If you start paying attention, you’ll be
surprised how many words a 3-5 year old can already read. Next time you are in
the car with your child, point out signs, and I guarantee you will hear some
early reading. All kinds of signs are recognizable to the average American
child, from fast food restaurants to large discount department store chains (I
know you have at least one in your area) to billboards. If your child doesn’t
recognize city street signs already, take the time to talk about those, too.
They will be reading them in no time. Environmental print is all around your
house as well. Cereal boxes among other food products, the covers of favorite
movies, the brand names on appliances if that interests your kid, the list could
go on and on. Encourage your child to read this print, and you will give them
the foundation upon which to build up their knowledge of the written word.
Let me give you an example. Your five year old starts kindergarten and walks
into the room where he or she sees the teacher’s name on the board. They already
know the sound that the “M” in Ms. makes…it sounds like their favorite place to
eat a hamburger. You can help your child make these connections by combining
strategy 1 and 2. Mom also starts with the same sound as that fast food chain,
so make sure you have a discussion about it.
3. Read Names
Your child’s name is a tremendous source of reading power.
As a Kindergarten teacher I can speak from experience, early readers believe
they own the letter their name starts with. They will see it everywhere if they
know what it looks like. Michelle will look at that fast food sign and say,
“That’s my M!” And her caregiver should be proud she’s made the connection!
Encourage ownership of the letters in your child’s name. Make sure they can
recognize it, and name at least the first letter. (Actually, not being able to
name the letter will not keep them from seeing it everywhere, but why not teach
letter names where ever you can?) Once they know their own name, expose them to
family members’ names. Photographs are great for this: put pictures of family
members at eye level to your child, and write their names underneath. Your
children will add even more sounds and letters to their repertoire if they see
Aunt Lucy and her name every day. “That cereal [with the leprechaun and magic
charms] starts like Lucy!”