Multisensory Reading Clinic

The Importance of the Early Years:

The Process of Learning to Read From Birth to Four Years Old

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What does my child need to know to be ready to read and what can I do to help him at home?

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Birth to Three-Year-Old Accomplishments

• Recognizes specific books by the cover.

• Pretends to read books.

• Understands that books are handled in particular ways.

• Enters into a book-sharing routine with primary caregivers.

• Vocalization play in the crib gives way to enjoyment,   nonsense wordplay, etc.

•  Labels objects in books.

• Comments on characters in books.

• Looks at the picture in a book and realizes it is a symbol for a real object.

• Listens to stories.

• Requests/commands adults to read or write.

• May begin attending to specific print such as letters in names.

• Uses increasingly purposive scribbling.

• Occasionally seems to distinguish between drawing and writing.

• Produces some letter-like forms and scribbles with some features of English writing.

 

Three- to Four-Year-Old Accomplishments

• Knows that alphabet letters are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named.

• Recognizes local environmental print.

• Knows that it is the print that is read in stories.

• Understands that different text forms are used for different functions of print (e.g., list for groceries).

• Pays attention to separable and repeating sounds in language (e.g., Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater, Peter Eater).

• Uses new vocabulary and grammatical constructions in own speech.

• Understands and follows oral directions.

•  Is sensitive to some sequences of events in stories.

• Shows an interest in books and reading.

• When being read a story, connects information and events to life experiences.

• Questions and comments demonstrate understanding of the literal meaning of the story being told.

• Displays reading and writing attempts, calling attention to self: "Look at my story."

• Can identify 10 alphabet letters, especially those from his own name.

• "Writes" (scribbles) message as part of playful activity.

• May begin to attend to beginning or rhyming sounds in salient words

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Source: Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children, report of the National Research Council Table 2.1 Accomplishments in Reading

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to be continued...

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