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How Can You Help a Child Build Pre-Reading Skills?

March 24, 2026

Give them lots opportunities to identify alphabet letters by name, shape and sound.

How?

  • Read the book Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and point to each letter falling from the coconut tree. Say: This is an Aa and sound each letter out.

  • Make your own coconut tree filled with letters.

  • Go on a Letter Hunt. Identify letters that you see all around you on cereal boxes, street signs or clothes.

  • Draw the letters of a child’s name using shaving cream or sand on a cookie sheet.

  • Use magnetic letters to make words on a cookie sheet. Sound each letter out and show how letters make sounds. Letters make words.

  • Go fishing for letters. Put letters in the bathtub or a bucket filled with water. Pick a letter and sound it out. Try to make words with your letters.

  • Use popsicle sticks to make letters with velcro(see pic).

  • Make a Letter or Word Ball. Write capital and lower case letters with a marker on a beach ball. Roll the ball to each person and they pick a letter or word to add.

  • Make a letter and word jar. Add letters and words every time you sound them out.

Letter recognition is a strong predictor of reading skills. Set your child up for success and make learning fun!