| Experts in child development often say that parents | | | | have we all witnessed parents who talk to their |
| are the first educators. And, whether parents elect to | | | | children while dressing them? That parent might say |
| traditionally educate their children or dedicate a | | | | something like "Here's your pretty pink dress!" or |
| significant portion of their own time, effort, and | | | | "Would you like to wear the red shirt or the green |
| resources to homeschool their children, the simple truth | | | | one?" Those parents who talk often with their children |
| is that parents can, should, and do begin educating their | | | | long before the kids can hold up their own end of the |
| children long before they introduce any sort of formal | | | | conversation are, almost stealthily, teaching their |
| education. | | | | children pre-reading skills. |
| Many parents, especially new and homeschooling | | | | Another way young children learn pre-reading skills is |
| parents, hesitate to "push" a child into reading before | | | | through exposure to those well-recognized early |
| they are "ready." However, reading is merely a visual | | | | reader board books. These books, made from thick |
| representation of the spoken word. And, just as we | | | | cardboard and easy for less-than-nimble fingers to |
| teach our children to talk and the appropriate words | | | | manipulate have simple, colorful pictures and short, |
| for objects and people, we can begin early to teach | | | | basic words. They help pre-readers learn to associate |
| our children how letters (i.e., symbols) represent certain | | | | words with objects and people in a different way than |
| sounds, and when those letter symbols are grouped, | | | | they were learning when they held an object in their |
| they form words. This natural education process is | | | | hands while mom or dad told them what that object |
| less "pushing" than it is simple language acquisition. | | | | was or when they began learning that people had |
| Some educators and experts refer to this process as | | | | names and titles. |
| pre-reading. | | | | Measuring Pre-reading Success |
| Pre-reading Leads to Reading Success | | | | The success of a parent's pre-reading instruction can |
| Pre-reading activities begin early and most parents | | | | actually be measured. In general, children who have |
| aren't even aware they are preparing their young | | | | had lots of pre-reading activity exposure begin |
| children to read. Parents might sing the alphabet song | | | | speaking earlier than children who have not. Consider |
| to help a cranky baby get to sleep. A child's bedroom | | | | that research indicates that parents who speak to their |
| or playroom might be festooned with an ABC border. | | | | children often seem to have kids who begin to speak |
| Vibrant letter magnets could adorn the refrigerator | | | | at an earlier age. Parents who limit how much they |
| enabling parents and children to form words. These | | | | speak to their very young children might notice that |
| (apparently) unusual activities are what prepare | | | | those children are "late" talkers. |
| children to learn to read. | | | | Children learn quickly and naturally, given the |
| Pre-reading is really all about exposing the child to both | | | | opportunity. And, although parents might be hesitant to |
| spoken and written language. Parents can set their | | | | push their children into learning, they must also |
| children up for success without pushing by making sure | | | | understand that it is their responsibility to give their |
| that they have the maximum exposure to these | | | | children the tools they need to develop the proper |
| activities. Technology has even given children a new | | | | pre-reading skills. Providing children with fun and |
| opportunity for early learning called syllabics. Syllabics, | | | | interesting ways to develop language skills is very |
| which focuses on the sounds associated with all | | | | different from requiring a minimum number of formal |
| letters, or phonics, which deals mainly with the sounds | | | | teaching hours for pre-reading children. An important |
| associated with the consonants, can be easily learned | | | | scenario is to focus on learning fun. The second might |
| with readily available preschool computer software. | | | | be more along the lines of the "pushing" that parents |
| Pre-reading, Games, and Conversation | | | | are trying to avoid. Knowing the difference between |
| Even before children learn to talk, parents naturally set | | | | the two can set the stage for reading success. |
| them up for verbal communication. How many times | | | | |