Reading Readiness – Is my child ready to read?
Honestly, the pressure to have kids reading before they are ready, or reading at an early age, is getting to be too much. It is coming from parents onto teachers, and even from teachers themselves. It needs to stop. Reading readiness is a real thing, and if we are pushing before our children are ready, then we can see a struggle later as to keeping up.
We need to follow the lead of our children. This also includes when they are young, maybe even especially so. Our children will let us know when they are ready to read. But there are things we can teach them to support them and to help prepare them.
HOW DO I KNOW MY CHILD IS READY FOR READING?
There are several key signs to be looking for with your child to assess if they are, in fact, showing reading readiness. These are all things you can observe on your own. You don’t need a teaching degree or professional assistance to see it 😉
What are these signs?
Shows an interest in reading
Your child will want you to read to them. This could be the same book over and over, or several books in one sitting. They will also observe what you are doing while reading to them. In fact, you might even see them reading to toys or a younger sibling, playing at reading aloud.
Can retell a short story
After listening to a book or a story, your child will be able to retell at least parts of it. Putting stories into their own words is a telling sign that they are ready.
Book awareness
This is where we understand how we hold a book, holding it the right way up, and how the pages turn. Their eyes will track left to right (if reading in English).
Print awareness
This is not fully understanding print but your child can see the difference between words and pictures. They will be able to point out the pictures and the words.
Can play with sounds
Playing games is a great way to work with rhyme, syllables and with letter sounds. When there is an understanding of rhyme and sounds, then it will be easier to start reading.
Knows most of the letters and sounds
Please not that it doesn’t have to be all of the letters and sounds, just most of them. Again, singing and playing games is a great way to know the letters. With all the great programs out there these days (Cocomelon, ABC Mouse, etc.) it is easy for your child to learn their letters.
Pushing our children too early, when they are not ready, can lead to self-esteem issues, a push back at school towards learning or other such behaviours. Studies are showing that perhaps the best age to start formal learning, and this includes reading, is 6-7. So why do we put so much stock on our children reading before school starts? I am not saying that some children don’t naturally read early or show interest early on in reading, but most children will more naturally learn around 6-7 years old.
HOW TO HELP OUR CHILDREN IN READING READINESS
There are a number of different ways to help our children be ready for reading. They are easy to incorporate into your day.
- Read together and often
- Read a variety of books that use rich language and have engaging stories
- Make it fun – sing songs, play games, incorporate it outside the home
- Visit the library
I know that it can be hard to not follow the pressures of having our children reading early. I have felt it as a teacher and as a parent – and still do, even though both of my girls are reading and learned when they were ready and learned organically. It’s ok to change what you have been doing. It is also ok if you had your child reading early. But when we wait until they are ready, they will be more confident and will learn to read more easily.
Here is a vlog on the importance of books and an early initial vlog on reading readiness.
6 Comments
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“Wondering if your child is ready to read? Think of it like a james bond 3 piece suit—each piece must fit perfectly. Similarly, reading readiness requires a fit between letter recognition, phonics, and interest in books. When all the pieces come together, your child is ready to read confidently and stylishly