There are milestones for language and speech, but every child is different so there is an estimate of milestones each child should meet. There are ways to prepare your child to read, so there is no reason to stress!
There are tons of ways that you’re already promoting language and reading readiness. In this website alone, there are other posts that give suggestions and ideas such as 50 One-Minute Ways to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten and 25 Ideas for Reading Skills Practice at Home! and Kindergarten Readiness Ideas from an Expert!
All children develop at their own pace, but there are general reading readiness skills that children develop. It’s good to know those general skills so that you can recognize any potential problems that your child may have. You can help your child get ready to read and your child may be ready to read already! A good test that you can take online for free is ReadingRockets.
In oral language, your child develops an understanding of language and speech. As a child develops oral language, they increase their vocabulary, speaking skills, and their comprehension skills strengthen. If your child is almost ready for kindergarten, click here to find out how to help your child in the other areas of kindergarten readiness.
How to Help Your Child Get Ready to Read – Age 4 – 5
AGE
-4-5
DEVELOPMENT
-10,000 words or more
-5-6 word sentences
-Knows letters, sounds of letters, etc.
-Can understand a short story, summarize the story, state the sequence the events, and answer simple questions about the story
HOW TO HELP
-Have a bunch of words and make a silly sentence with them.
-Place words on cards and hide around the house – have your child find enough cards to make a sentence.
-Practice sight word flashcards that you purchase or write on index cards.
-Have them repeat letters, objects, colors, shapes, etc.
-Copy words from a book, magazine, tablet, etc.
-Read books, ebooks, magazines, brochures, cookbooks, menus, etc.
-Have them read words on a flash card, sentences, books, etc. to you, a neighbor, relative, sibling, friend, a real animal, a stuffed animal, etc.
-House scavenger hunt-find items that start with /d/, find something that rhymes with more (floor), etc.
For this information email me at jean@reading-love.com or mrs.dehm@gmail.com and ask for the “Preparing Your Child To Read” chart.
In general, read to your child, talk to your child, question your child about everything, and make them think, think, think and talk, talk, talk! And then they’ll read, read, read!!!
There are so many resources to help your child get ready to read, so there’s no reason to ever get discouraged. When your child starts kindergarten, he will be taught to read so it is so important to give him the tools ahead of time.