Did you know that the foundations of literacy emerge in the preschool years?  

This is why toddlers love nursery rhymes and songs— our small learners are in the beginning stages of sound and word play!

Reading success doesn’t start with letter awareness, it starts with sound awareness.  Research has shown us that a preschooler’s phonological awareness predicts their future reading abilities.  Simply put, a child needs to learn that language is made up of sentences, words, and at the most basic level: sounds!  

Phonological awareness develops along a predictable sequence: 

Here are some easy ways you can incorporate word play throughout the day:

1.) Rhyme Awareness

With nursery rhymes or songs…

• Pause and wait for your child to “fill in the blank” (Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse went up the….. “clock”!)

• Make up silly rhymes with your child (Banana fana, fofana…Mango fango bobango…)

In the car…

• Play a rhyme guessing game (I’m thinking of something that rhymes with log.  It has 4 paws and barks….) 

During a puzzle or game…

• • Match pictures or objects that rhyme.  (Cat and bat rhyme.  Which of these things rhymes with fun?)

2.) Sentence and Word Awareness

On a walk…

• Clap, tap, or stomp words in a sentence (We-are-going-to-school.  How many words in that sentence? “4!” )

3.) Syllable Awareness

 At the park…

• Clap, tap, or stomp to count syllables in a word (How many syllables do you hear in pop-si-cle?) 

While making breakfast…

• Be a listening detective to put words together (Robbie Robot likes to speak slowwwwwly.  Pan…..cake.  What word is he saying? “pancake!”) 

When building with blocks or legos…

• Practice segmenting to build words and take them apart.  (Rain+bow, rainbow!  If I take away “bow,” what do we have?  “Rain!”)

4.) Sound Awareness

During story time…

• Instead of talking about letter names, talk about the sounds each letter makes! 

• Point out the beginning sounds in words (This is a pig, it starts with this sound /p, p/ pig!  What sound does ball start with?) 

• Brainstorm words beginning with a particular sound (Let’s find all the things on this page that begin with the /k/ sound. Cat, cake, kite, key.  How about “turtle,” does that match our /k/ sound?)

• Practice alliterations of a single sound (Jenny giraffe jumps in the jungle)

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