Black Family Magazine

EDUCATION: Reading for 4-yr olds

My daughter is 4 years old and doesn’t know how to read. I know that she’s still very young, but I’m getting concerned because I’ve read that the earlier we start teaching reading, the earlier a child will become a fluent reader. How can I help my four year old learn to read? Sincerely, CONFUSED BUT CONCERNED

Dear Confused but Concerned,

First, I’d like to commend you for being concerned about such an important issue this early on. You’re right, early intervention is one of the keys to success in literacy.

Your daughter is a preschooler and this is the stage where you’re not so much teaching her “how” to read, but instead, you’re simply teaching her to “love” reading.

Your job is to structure reading in such way that your child develops positive feelings and memories around reading. Here are a few things that you can do to get your daughter off to a great start:

Teach her that reading is a part of everyday life.

Start by creating lots of opportunities for you and your daughter to bond through reading. Whether you are reading the mail, a letter from a friend, a magazine, menus, shopping lists, or catalogs, share what you’re reading with your daughter. Pointing out familiar street signs and billboards is a great way to get her into read environmental print.

When you see familiar signs, read them out loud and encourage her to read with you. After a while, she’ll begin to recognize and point them out to you all on her own.

Make reading time special.

Set up a daily routine for you and your daughter to read picture books. This should take place in a comfortable place in your home. Now remember, at your daughter’s age, words aren’t the main issue. You’re teaching her to love books, so try to choose books that relate to your daughter’s interests and have bright and vibrant illustrations.

Since your daughter is learning the basics, or conventions of print, point out the cover, the title, the author, and the illustrator- and don’t be afraid to use these exact terms with her. She’ll retain the information.

Also, as you read the story, point to each word so that she realizes that print runs from left to right. Read with expression and don’t be afraid to use silly voices. Kids love that kind of stuff.

You should also stop at certain points in the story, and ask her, “What do you think will happen next?” If she gets restless and wants to stop, that’s okay. As she gets older, her attention span will increase.

Most of all just have fun and enjoy the experience of reading with your child. Good Luck.


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