by Cera

Created on: January 23, 2007   Last Updated: March 25, 2007

More than half the battle in teaching toddlers to read is boosting their enthusiasm for it. A carefully structured lesson plan will quickly go out the door if the child has no real interest in gaining such knowledge.

The most important first step on the road to literacy is awareness. Written words are all around us in our everday lives, and if children are made aware of where to find them, what they mean, and why they are an integral part of our modern society, they will be that much more enthused when beginning the process of reading. Traffic signs, store fronts, and food packaging are all good examples of this.

The next challenge is teaching the child to identify his or her alphabet and the unique sound(s) assigned to each letter. For this step, I highly recommend a Magna Doodle and a lot of time and patience, well worth the investment.

Once children have the alphabet under their belts, they are ready to put those sounds together. Try simple, 3-letter words first. Slowly say each letter's sound, repeating more quickly until the word begins to run together. Lead your child slowly into this step, as it can be quite frustrating for a little one with such a small reserve of patience. But the reward will be absolutely glorious when that little prodigy turns his or her face up to you, eyes brightly shining with wonder...I CAN READ!

Some excellent videos for youngsters learning to read are Leap Frog Letter Factory and Word Factory. I highly recommend using these as supplements in your teaching process.

Continue to encourage your child to sound out words throughout the day. Never, at this young age, use reading as a punishment or a forced task. They will soon come to take pride in their newfound knowledge and someday thank you for the time and patience you invest in them today.

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