New Books and Pre-reading Skills

There are six pre-reading skills every child needs. How do we help children develop these skills? One way is by sharing books with them, of course! Here is a new skill-specific book list to provide some inspiration.

The terminology used in Every Child Ready to Read is directed towards adults and includes lots of BIG words like "phonological." A recent article in the Calgary Herald listed the pre-reading skills in the more personal, child-focused terms of the Calgary Public Library's Growing Readers For Life program: I Like Books, I See Words, I Hear Words, I Know Letters, I Know Words and I Can Tell A Story.

Every Child Ready to Read

The San Antonio Public Library's Little Read Wagon has an exciting early literacy program series designed to help get “Every Child Ready To Read®.” Current research shows that children who learn six critical pre-reading skills before they start kindergarten become better readers. Children who do not know these skills when they come to school have a much more difficult time learning to read. Little Read Wagon offers these programs at schools and other organizations that serve parents or informal caregivers. Teachers are encouraged to attend one of our Saturday workshops designed especially for them.

The “Every Child Ready To Read” program, developed by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children, explains why the six pre-reading skills are so important, demonstrates how to help children learn the skills, provides titles of high-interest books that are age appropriate, and sends parents/caregivers home with early literacy activities to incorporate into daily routines. Contact Little Read Wagon to schedule a program.

The next time you are at the library, be sure to pick up one of the “Every Child Ready To Read®” parent guides and ask a librarian to help you find just the right books to help your child get ready to read.