Every Child Ready to Read

Every Child Ready to Read Children begin learning literacy skills right from birth. Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. Researchers have identified six skill areas that parents and caregivers can help develop. We also encourage you to attend storytimes at your library.

Six Pre-reading Skills Your Child Can Start Learning from Birth

Print Motivation - an interest in and enjoyment of books
Have fun when you read with your child. Make book-sharing time a special time for closeness between you and your child. Let your child see you read. Children who enjoy books will want to learn how to read.

Vocabulary – knowing the names of things
Read to your child every day no matter what their age. Research shows that children who have larger vocabularies are better readers. Knowing many words helps children recognize written words and understand what they read. Even infants benefit; by the time children are two years old, they understand 300-500 words. You help your child learn new words by talking and reading together.

Print Awareness– noticing print, knowing how to handle a book and knowing how to follow the words on a page
Print is everywhere! Point to some of the words as you read from books, signs, lists, labels and menus. Being familiar with printed language helps children feel comfortable with books and understand that print is useful.

Narrative Skills – being able to describe things and events and tell stories
Let your child help you tell stories. Listen to them about pictures in the books and pictures they draw. Being able to tell or retell a story helps children understand what they read. Ask open-ended questions about the books you read like, “what do you think will happen next?”

Letter Knowledge – Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds and recognizing letters everywhere
Help your child see and feel different shapes and the shapes of letters; help them see that the same letter can look different. Knowing the names and sounds of letters helps children figure out how to say written words.

Phonological Awareness – Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
Say rhymes, sing songs and play word games with your child. Being able to hear the sounds that make up words helps children sound out words as they begin to read.

Want more resources?

Check out one of the Library's Books to Grow Kits

And explore other resources on our For Parents Web page.

Every Child Ready to Read background information:

For parents (Printable Web page or PDF)

For educators (Printable Web page or PDF)

Storytime Handouts

The Corinth Library uses the six pre-reading skills during their storytime. Christi, Youth Services Librarian, created easy handouts to demonstrate the six skills while reading to toddlers. Try these tips when reading to a child.

Apples (PDF)
Autumn & Apples (PDF)
Babies (PDF)
Bath Time (PDF)
Birds (PDF)
Chickens & Ducks (PDF)
Circus (PDF)
Clothing (PDF)
Colors (PDF)
Family (PDF)
Farm Animals (PDF)
Food (PDF)
Friendship (PDF)
Get a Clue (PDF)
Green Things (PDF)
Letters & Numbers (PDF)
Love & Friendship (PDF)
Mice (PDF)
Moon & Mice (PDF)
My Body (PDF)
Owls (PDF)
Pumpkin Time (PDF)
Rhyme (PDF)
Seasons (PDF)
Spring Time (PDF)
Summer Time (PDF)
Teddy Bear (PDF)
Thanksgiving (PDF)
Valentine's Day (PDF)
Wild Animals (PDF)
Winter Time (PDF)