Pre-Reading Printables, Activities and Games for Kids

When we think of beginning reading instruction, we think of learning the letters of the alphabet, perhaps beginning to learn the sounds of the letters, and starting an “official” phonics curricula. Those are all valid foundations for a good reader.

However, the fact is that reading instruction starts much earlier – even with your toddler. We call it pre-reading skills–all the skills that need to be mastered to lay a solid foundation before your child starts a phonics program.

So what exactly are pre-reading skills? Recognizing shapes, visual perception, recognizing differences, tracing left-to-right, recognizing patterns, recognizing different sounds, and recognizing the letters of the alphabet are all pre-reading skills. These are all things taught in the typical preschool, and they are things that lay a strong foundation–which you want.

But you don’t necessarily have to teach these skills in a formal way.

Almost all children can absorb this information just by interacting with the world around them with a bit of direction from Mom. The printables, activities, and games in this post are probably going to be viewed as fun and games with Mom, but they will all be helping your child on the path to reading success.

Pre-Reading Activities

Book Talks from Rebecca Reid

Phonological Awareness Activities from Lovely Commotion. This post has some great activities, but she also has an entire series on pre-reading skills linked at the top of this post. Lots of great stuff!

Outdoor Pre-Reading Activities for Kids from Sugar Aunts

Alphabet Squish from I Can Teach My Child

Visual Discrimination Activities for Kids From Inner Pieces Gallery