by Bobby Coles

Created on: October 20, 2010   Last Updated: May 02, 2012

Engaging preschoolers in pre-reading activities is a great way to help cultivate the desire to read. Doing the necessary things that will foster a love of reading is essential to helping them grow academically, and preschool is the beginning of their educational journey. Great pre-reading activities for preschoolers include; showing enthusiasm towards reading, looking at the pictures inside the book before reading, having children select their own books from the library or their own bookshelf, and re-enforcing the letters of the alphabet along with the sounds associated with each letter.

The more enthusiastic that you are, the more interested a child may become in learning to read, and they will be more eager to listen to you read. The world of books can allow imaginations to soar, and creativity to flourish. A preschool child's mind is limitless, knowing no boundaries, and this needs to be harvested. Preschool children love to listen to stories being read aloud, and this is where the enthusiasm needs to blossom. As you read, make sure that you are fully animated, bringing to life the characters and the circumstances. Children love to hear the different noises made by animals and objects, and you should also make certain to pronounce each word properly, and enunciate in a clear manner.

A good pre-reading activity for preschoolers is to have them look at the pictures prior to reading the story. As you look at the pictures, and read the name of the book, have the child attempt to make some inferences as to what is happening in the story. After you have scanned all the pictures, and pieced together a makeshift story, read the story to the child, engaging them as you read by showing them the words as you read them, and relate them to the pictures. Whether or not your child was correct about the pictures, they will wait with bated breath to find out what happens next. If they were incorrect, have them make predictions again as you continue to read. This will keep their interest piqued.

Pre-reading techniques for preschoolers can also include having the children take some ownership over their reading. This can be done by having the children get their own library card, and pick out their own books. As they gain a measure of independence in this regard, they will maintain an interest in the reading process, and hopefully yearn to read on their own.

The more exposure to the alphabet they have, the better off they will be with their pre-reading strategies. Preschoolers need to be constantly shown letters, and the sounds that they make. Reading is a process that requires a fundamental understanding of the language, and therefore the more that you can prepare a student to read, the more likely they will be successful in this endeavour.

Finally, serving as a role-model will go a long way to having the preschool children want to read. As a teacher, parent, or other caregiver, the ability to instill in a child the desire to read is a valuable commodity to possess. Once preschoolers get the hang of the pre-reading techniques, there will be nothing to stand in their way of becoming engrossed in books all by themselves.

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