Reading readiness doesn’t start with letters — it starts with joy. Here are five routines our teachers use every day.

1. Let them “read” to you first

Before decoding words, children read pictures. Hand your child a familiar book and ask them to tell you the story. This builds narrative confidence, the true foundation of literacy.

2. Make sounds a game

I-spy with sounds (“something that starts with sss…”) trains phonemic awareness — the strongest predictor of early reading success.

3. Follow the finger

When you read aloud, trace the words with your finger. Children quietly absorb that print flows left to right and that those marks are the story.

4. Read the world

Cereal boxes, street signs, name tags — celebrate every word your child recognizes in the wild. Reading isn’t a book skill; it’s a life skill.

5. Keep it short and stop early

End the session while it’s still fun. A child who begs for one more page tomorrow is worth more than a child who finishes the book tonight.