Reading is a privilege—a gateway to knowledge, imagination, and opportunity. It's a critical skill that shapes a child's future, giving them the tools to explore the world around them. While learning to read is a gradual process, certain foundational skills set children up for success as emerging readers. These skills go beyond decoding letters and words; they are the building blocks that nurture a love for reading and understanding.

As parents, teachers, and caregivers, we have a responsibility to help every child learn to read, not just by teaching phonics and sight words but by giving them the tools to thrive in a reading-rich environment. Here are five essential skills that every emerging reader needs to develop early on, ensuring they are prepared for a lifelong journey with books.

1. Oral Language Development

Before children can read written words, they need a strong foundation in oral language. This skill provides the context for learning and helps develop a rich vocabulary. When children are exposed to conversations, stories, songs, and questions, they learn how language works, which sets the stage for understanding written language.

Why It Matters: Oral language allows children to connect meaning to the words they will eventually read. It helps them grasp the structure of language—how sentences are formed and how ideas are expressed. Vocabulary exposure is key; children with a larger vocabulary are more likely to recognize words and understand their meanings when they begin reading.

2. Letter and Word Awareness

Letter and word awareness, sometimes referred to as "alphabet knowledge," is the ability to recognize letters and understand that they form words. It involves knowing the alphabet, recognizing letters in both uppercase and lowercase forms, and understanding that words are made up of these letters.

Why It Matters: Understanding letters and words is essential for decoding and fluency. When children recognize that letters have distinct sounds and can be combined to form words, they are more prepared to start reading on their own. This awareness gives them confidence as they navigate printed text.

3. Concepts of Print

Understanding how print works is crucial for emerging readers. Concepts of print refer to the understanding that print carries meaning and that there are rules and conventions for reading, such as reading from left to right and top to bottom. Children also need to learn that books have a front and back, and pages are turned to continue the story.

Why It Matters: Concepts of print provide children with a roadmap for navigating books and written language. Without these foundational concepts, even children who know their letters and sounds may struggle to make sense of reading material.

4. Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sounds in words. It is a broad skill that includes recognizing rhymes, clapping out syllables, and identifying the first or last sounds in a word. Phonemic awareness, a more specific aspect of phonological awareness, focuses on understanding individual sounds, or phonemes, in words.

Why It Matters: Phonological awareness is a critical predictor of reading success. Children who can break down words into their individual sounds are better equipped to decode new words and develop fluency in reading.

5. Writing Experiences

Encouraging children to write, even before they can read, helps them understand the connection between spoken and written language. Writing experiences, whether it’s scribbling, drawing pictures, or crafting their own stories, promote creativity and allow children to express their ideas on paper.

Why It Matters: Writing supports early reading development by reinforcing the idea that words have meaning and can be represented in print. As children write, they begin to understand the relationship between letters, sounds, and words. This also nurtures a love for storytelling, which is a key component of reading comprehension.

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS WITH LINKS

ORAL LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT: The best non-fiction books for emerging readers combine rich vocabulary with engaging content that broadens their knowledge and provides context for reading. Books about animals, space, nature, and science introduce complex ideas through accessible language and vivid illustrations. These books spark curiosity, helping young readers develop a deeper understanding of the world while expanding their vocabulary. 

LETTER AND WORD AWARENESS: When choosing a book to work on letter awareness, look for texts that emphasize letters in both their uppercase and lowercase forms and include repetitive, playful language to help reinforce letter recognition. Books like this make learning the alphabet engaging and memorable, helping children connect letters to sounds in a way that feels more like a game than a lesson. 

CONCEPTS OF PRINT: When working on the skill of concepts of print, look for books that encourage children to recognize how text and pictures work together, such as understanding where to start reading, following the direction of the text, and recognizing that words convey meaning. Books with clear layouts, repetitive patterns, and opportunities to point to the words as you read help children grasp how print is organized on a page. 

PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS: When working on phonological awareness, look for books with rhyming patterns, alliteration, and playful language that highlight the sounds within words. Books that use simple, repetitive sounds that help children recognize and play with phonemes. Additionally, books with songs or nursery rhymes, encourage children to listen for rhythm and rhyme, developing their ability to break words into sounds.