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As preschool parents & teachers, we want to set our kiddos up for success in school & life, and we know the BEST way to do that is to help them LOVE reading!

But we’ve also seen the grim statistic that 66% of 4th graders in the United States can’t read at a proficient level.

That’s a scary number, but I believe it’s one we CAN change!

And it starts waaaaaay before kids enter elementary school...it starts with our toddlers & preschoolers!

This month’s email series is going to focus on Four Factors of Future Reading Success. 

These four factors are things we can focus on NOW with our 3 & 4 year olds that will help them become strong readers later on.

All of these factors can be worked on through hands-on, playful learning experiences (no flashcards required!) and will build the literacy foundation kids need before learning to read.

The four factors are:

• Oral Language
• Phonological & Phonemic Awareness
• Alphabet Knowledge
• Concepts of Print

We’ll dive into each factor over the next few emails, starting today with Oral Language.

According to Reading Rockets:

“Oral Language includes listening comprehension, verbal expression, and vocabulary development. Oral language development is facilitated when children have many opportunities to use language in interactions with adults and each other and when they listen and respond to stories.”

The more opportunities kids have to use their language skills (both listening and speaking), the better!

Once our little ones begin reading, they’re going to need to make meaning from the words on the page.

The more words they have in their vocabulary files in their brains, the easier it’ll be for them to understand the meaning of the text they read.

Here are five ways you can help develop your preschooler’s oral language skills now:

1. TALK to your little one ALL day long:

• Narrate your day, point things out, and use high-level vocabulary & grammar.
• Don’t “dumb down” your language...preschoolers can understand complex vocabulary words if you explain the meanings or use examples to describe the words.

2. GIVE your little one as many hands-on experiences as possible:

• The more real-world experiences your little one has (like visiting a farm or a fire station), the more their oral language will bloom.
• This might not be possible because of the pandemic, but you can always look up virtual field trips online for the time being.
• This also includes sensory experiences like sensory play, messy play, play dough, and playing outside.

3. SING nursery rhymes & other rhyming songs over and over:

• Research has shown a positive correlation between nursery rhyme knowledge and early phonological and print-related skills...not to mention rhyme awareness is a significant predictor of reading and spelling success in school!
• Check out this nursery rhyme pack for some fun ideas!

4. CHOOSE a variety of books:

• The great part about books is they usually contain more advanced vocabulary words than what we use in spoken language.
• One study suggested books are two to three times as likely to contain a word that isn’t in the 5,000 most common English words.
• That study also showed that picture books include more uncommon words than even conversations among adults!
• The next time you’re reading to your little one, see if you can find some uncommon words to point out to them.
• Need some inspiration for new books? Check out the book lists I have on my blog! They're grouped by different themes, holidays, and seasons.

5. READ every single day:

• If you read to your little one for 1 minute a day, they will hear 8,000 words in a year.
• If you read to them for 5 minutes a day, they will hear 282,000 words in a year.
• If you read to them for 20 minutes a day, they will hear 1.8 MILLION  words in a year!
• The difference is clear...aim for 20+ minutes a day (can be broken up over the course of the day) to help develop oral language.
• I like to read to my kids at different times:
  • During breakfast (while they eat)
  • During our homeschool preschool time
  • Before nap
  • After dinner to help us wind down
  • Before bed
  • I also ALWAYS bring books to read to my preschooler while we wait for Big Sis to do her after-school activities like dance and art.

Oral Language is one of the Four Factors of Future Reading Success, and it leads perfectly to next week’s topic...Phonological & Phonemic Awareness (one of my absolute favorite topics!!)

Can't wait to share lots of info with you!

Have a great week!

HAPPY LEARNING!

P.S. Looking for all of our freebies?! Here's the info you need:

https://littleslovelearning.com/freebies

Password: Preschoolfun123

P.P.S. I know some of you headed back to school this week…I hope your first day was great!

If you're reading The Kissing Hand to start off the school year, check out these fun activities to go along with it!