Reading Readiness

What is reading readiness? It can be defined as the point in time when a child is ready to learn to read and the transition time when that child transitions from a non-reader into a reader. Your child may be ready to read before the age of 5, but don't be alarmed if these readiness skills are mastered as late as 7 or 8 years old.

I have learned over the years that you cannot teach a child to read until he or she is ready. It is frustrating for the parent/teacher and the child and may actually hinder progress. There are many factors that influence the aquisition of reading skills. Most are developmental and cannot be altered no matter how great the skill of the teacher. So, relax and have fun with literacy skills until the time is right.

Hopefully, your child has developed a positive association with the printed word thanks to your excellent preschool reading program. How do you know your child is ready to learn to read? Here are some reading readiness skills to look for before beginning reading instruction...

1. Physical maturity - First your child must be able to hear and distinguish between different sounds as well as focus and track letters and words on a printed page without eye strain or discomfort.

2. Mental maturity - In order to learn to read, your child must have some general knowledge to build on. For example, it is easier to learn to read the word “dog” if you know what a dog is.

Along the same lines, children should understand that sounds are represented by letters and groups of letters make words that was “say”.

“What does ‘d’ say?” and “What does that (child points to a word) say?” shows development of this concept.

3. Appetite for learning – Once a child WANTS to learn to read, the process usually advances fairly quickly. Sometimes children will even teach themselves with minimum instruction from others.

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