The Building Blocks of Reading Start Early
Reading begins long before a child sounds out their first word. Strong language and decoding skills build the foundation for confident, curious readers.
Language Skills
Early literacy begins with strong oral language, setting the stage for reading comprehension:
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Vocabulary – Children need to know the meaning of words to understand what they read. The more words they know, the easier it is to make sense of stories and learn new words from context.
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Syntax (Sentence Structure) – Recognizing how words combine into meaningful sentences helps children comprehend both spoken and written language—an essential skill for following directions and understanding text.
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Asking & Answering Questions – This skill supports reading comprehension by encouraging children to think critically about stories and make connections to their real-world experiences.
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Making Predictions – Anticipating what might happen next helps children learn to infer, stay engaged, and process text more deeply—skills that strengthen understanding and memory.
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Retelling Stories – Recounting key events in order builds narrative skills, reinforces comprehension, and supports the ability to summarize and understand story structure—key elements of both reading and writing.
Decoding Skills
Decoding is how children connect printed letters and words to sounds and meaning. Strengthening these foundational skills early gives children the tools they need to sound out words and begin reading with confidence:
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Letter-Sound Awareness – Understanding that each letter makes a specific sound allows children to begin “sounding out” unfamiliar words—a critical early reading skill.
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Phonological Awareness – The ability to hear and play with the sounds in words (like rhyming, segmenting, and blending sounds) helps children decode new words and read more fluently.
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Print Concepts – Knowing how print works—such as reading from left to right, recognizing spaces between words, and identifying where a story begins.
Give Them a Head Start
Our playful, research-backed curriculum targets these foundational skills — giving your child the confidence and tools to soar once formal reading instruction begins. Contact us to learn more about bringing Future Bookworms to your preschool.