How to build literacy skills in your preschooler
Did you know that early reading ability is one of the biggest predictors of future academic success? With this in mind, helping our preschoolers build strong literacy skills should be a top priority for parents. Ensuring proficient reading comprehension is crucial for successful reading and writing abilities in the future. Here are some key things parents can do with preschoolers to help build critical thinking and help encourage reading comprehension.
Choose books on a familiar topic
During story reading, parents can choose books about familiar topics and then discuss how the story relates to their child’s own life and experiences in order to help the child better identify with the character’s point of view.
Teach cause and effect
In order to help preschoolers understand cause and effect, parents can act out a plot of a story with their children. This can help make the story more real to a child and help them understand the character’s motivations.
Encourage problem-solving skills
Parents can help their children identify a problem in a story and come up with creative solutions. To encourage problem-solving skills, parents can make statements such as “I wonder if…” or “I’m trying to figure out how…”
Make predictions
To help a child think about the meaning of an event in a story, parents can start a dialogue by asking questions such as, “what do you think will happen next?” Learning to think critically during story reading can provide preschoolers with valuable tools for academic and life success.
I think adding in the art of storytelling really encourages young kids to imagine and find even more enjoyment out of books. Even the simplest true story (ie “What I did today at home while you were in school”) will leave kids hanging on your every word. Before you know it, they are spinning stories of their own!
Love this article! It’s so important to start introducing your children to books at an early age. Critical thinking skills are often a difficult area for many school aged children. These tips are a great way to get a jump start with your own child.