Children's Reading Resource | Pre-K - 3rd Grade | Home Reading Helper | Read Charlotte
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Get your child ready for literacy in Kindergarten through simple everyday activities and play!

Kids can learn valuable skills through small, teachable moments during a normal day. This means no grueling work sessions with flash cards, buying expensive educational toys, or completing tedious worksheets!

Experts agree that children must have repeated exposure to “pre-literacy” activities to build their skills and enable them to become successful future readers. These skills set the stage for reading:  (1) print awareness, (2) phonemic awareness, (3) vocabulary, (4) writing, and (5) oral language and comprehension.

Here are effective ways to sneak in literacy skills anywhere you go to give your child a head start for school:

Connection to Reading

In order for children to make sense of the world around them and the stories they read, they must grow a large and rich vocabulary. We now know that oral vocabulary has been linked to greater reading success in later years.

Activities

Children's Reading Resource | Pre-K - 3rd Grade | Home Reading Helper

HOME ACTIVITIES

Read every day

Read every day with your child. Books expose children to a wide range of words that they would otherwise not see or hear. They are also more likely to pick up the habit of reading in future years.

Explore Your World

Life experiences are the best new vocabulary lessons. Visiting museums, the zoo, historical sights and even different parks can open up your child’s world to new words.

Grow Your Child’s Vocabulary

Stretch your child’s vocabulary by expanding on what they say. Then add a comment or idea onto what your child say. Repeat what your child says, then add a little more description to extend type of words your child is exposed to.

For example: If your child says, “Look at my hands, Dad!”

You say: “I see you have purple jelly on of your fingers. (Clarify and expand) Wow, that looks sticky! (Extend)”

Use Interesting and Novel Words

Often parents simplify how they speak hoping it will help their child more easily understand what they mean. Instead, aim to use “rich vocabulary,” interesting words and phrases with bold descriptive words. Give your child every advantage by being intentionally specific about the words you choose. Your effort will expand their world of knowledge!  

Instead of: “Did you see that dog?”

Try: “Did you see that gigantic, gray dog sprinting across the street?”

Give Them a Kid-friendly Definition

Kids’ brains are wired for challenge and new experiences, so they’ll naturally be intrigued by a new word. If you come across a “big” word when reading, take time to explain it and give them a definition that is easy for them to understand. Remember to use the word when you talk with your child later on!

“Do you see those ‘talons’ on the hawk? Those are sharp claws they use for catching small animals to eat. Can you say ‘talon’? Have you ever seen ‘talons’ before?”

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Children's Reading Resource | Pre-K - 3rd Grade | Home Reading Helper

PRINTABLES

Pre-K Vocabulary List

These Pre-K vocabulary words introduce and reinforce commonly used words that will promote a child’s language development. Families should aim to use these in conversation and help their child understand the meaning of the words, not read or spell them at this age.

Children's Reading Resource | Pre-K - 3rd Grade | Home Reading Helper

GAMES

Use vocabulary games to help build kids’ pre-reading skills.

PBS Kids Vocabulary Games

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