First Friday Q&A: My 4 Year-Old Wants to Read NOW – What Do I Do?

What do you do when your 4 year-old wants to know how to read TODAY?  Here are some developmentally appropriate ways to build your preschooler’s literacy foundation, while also giving them ways they can read today.  (This video can also be viewed on YouTube here.)

 

Emergent Literacy

Why Don’t You Teach Reading?  A Look at Emergent Literacy {NJC}

A Culture of Literacy {NJC}

Reading Aloud is More than Just Reading {NJC}

Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook {Fountas & Pinnell}  (This is more of a professional resource for Pre-K teachers, but I think it outlines DAP for reading instruction and offers a lot of great activities that could be implemented at home as well.)

Alphabet Knowledge

Alphabet for Starters: Easy Touch and Feel Alphabet {No Time for Flashcards}

This is a G….and So Is This!  Buidling Alphabet Awareness in Young Readers {NJC}

Sensory Alphabet Ebook {Melitsa @ Raising Playful Tots}

50 Fantastic Alphabet Books {No Time for Flashcards}

Phonological Awareness

Stretching Words: Playful Ways to Practice {NJC}

Nursery Rhyme Printables {PreKinders}

Writing

Name Matching {Fun in ECSE}

Nurturing Young Authors {NJC}

Oral Language

Magic Words: Toddler Communication {Carrots are Orange}  (You can’t start too young here!)

Cheap DIY Magnetic Sets for Retelling {PreK Pages}

Concepts of Print

Simply Made: Reading Rings (Environtmentl Print) {Totally Tots}

Taking Dictations: Creating Stories with Young Kids {Simple Kids}

Check out my Language and Literacy Pinterest Board here!

Create your own books together, read emergent literacy books and books with rhyming and repetitive text.

For those of you who celebrate Easter, download and print my Emergent Reader – Happy Easter. (The booklet is made from half pages, so cut the pages in half before stapling for two booklets.)  Help your child complete the book by coloring the egg and where it’s hiding, and add the text to complete each sentence.  It’s great for getting familiar with color words as well as a few high frequency words, plus your child gets the benefit of doing some inventive spelling to finish the story.  (Cross out “in the” and add your child’s own words if necessary.  All those directional words — under, next to, behind, etc. — are great practice!)

What do you do encourage your emergent readers?