Children in Grade R are mostly learning the single sounds of the alphabet. However, some children start to show signs of reading readiness a little earlier. It is important to know how to correctly challenge a child who is ready to read. Otherwise they could turn to have a bad attitude towards reading, start showing a lack of confidence or just refuse to do anything related to it.
How do you know if a child is ready to read?
– Shows an interest in words or letters
– Knows all the sounds of the alphabet
– Identifies beginning and end sounds of words
– Starting to break three letter words into parts (e.g. c-a-t)
– Starting to identify small words in text (e.g. I, me, is, it, in)
– Able to replace a sound with another sound to make a different word (e.g. replace the the “c” in cat to “m” which makes mat)
– Pretends to read stories by looking at the pictures
– Able to hold the book the correct way and turns the pages
– Asks you to read or asks to read to you
– Shows an understanding of what is read to them by answering questions
The important part is to start easy. Do not jump straight into long sentences. Start with small words such as “I, in, it, is, me, my, the, you.” Then two word sentences such as “I run” or “My dog.” Then test them with longer sentences which require help from the teacher. If you notice any stress or hesitancy from the child when reading longer sentences, stop and go back to the easier sentences. We want this to be a smooth transition.
Join the Sense Education enrichment classes for your child to receive lessons from a qualified teacher. We know how to look for the correct signs and challenge your child accordingly. Your child will show progress in every lesson because we work in small groups and everyone encourages each other.
Download the Sense Education enrolment form off our website or contact us to hear more.
Are you starting to notice these signs from your child? Or did you find that your child jumped into reading quickly?
