Preschool Activities

Executive Summary by Elaine Engerdahl and Deanna Mascle

preschoolers activities

10 Preschool Activities Proven to Boost Reading Success

Parents can also provide this intervention successfully, if they are aware of what reading strategies and activities work effectively.

“These statistics confirm the importance of providing a good reading foundation for preschool and kindergarten aged children. There are many activities parents can provide for their children that help reduce the risk.

1. Many online sources provide good reviews on literature for reading to children at this age level. For example, after reading the book “Rainbow Fish” your child can complete a craft activity decorating rainbow fish. This helps relate the letter to the initial sound they hear in the word “fish”.

2. Introducing children to rhyming and alliteration type books allows a child to be exposed to sound differences and similarities. Tongue twisters and nursery rhymes allow a great opportunity for effective phonemic awareness introduction. When reading rhyming books, stop before the rhyming word and have your child provide the word to complete the sentence.

3. Help your child recognize their name in print. Print your child’s name saying each letter as you print it.

4. Using picture books that create a picture of the letter (picture mnemonics) has also proven to be an effective way for children to learn the sound-to-letter correspondence in a more meaningful context.

5. Point to words and letters everywhere. Begin reading the signs and pointing out the letters within the sign.

6. Model the reading process with your child. Point to words as you read to them.

7. Many Kindergarten and Preschool classrooms use little books called emergent readers to teach beginning reading.

8. Place magnetic letters on the fridge. Matching the same letters and words are a good visual discrimination activities that help enhance future reading success.

9. Say a word to your child focusing on the initial sound.

10. Have your child keep a special activities journal. The adult prints the sentence as the child says it.

They read back the sentence, while the parent is pointing to the words as they read it.

Use Snacks And Crafts To Teach ABCs

Everyone knows that it is important to teach children the letters of the alphabet. Even children who know their alphabet need to be regularly reminded and challenged with the letters in various order.

Effective preschool education makes learning fun and friendly. Young children learn best if you use these three simple methods: see it, say it, experience it.

You can use food and crafts to help your child experience the letters of the alphabet by seeing the shape and creating the shape in three-dimensions as well as eating food that either starts with the chosen “letter” or is in the shape of the letter.

For example, why not have your child munch on carrots and candy corn while gluing cotton balls into the shape of the letter “C”? W snacks like waffles, whipped cream, and watermelon; Y snacks like yogurt, yellow cake, and yeast rolls; and Z snacks like zucchini bread, Zesta crackers, and zwieback toast.

Making three dimensional art projects using kite strings and kidney beans for “K”; leaves, lace, lima beans, lids, letter stamps, and shoe laces for “L”; and play money, material, macaroni, and moon shapes for “M”.

Be creative and let your child’s imagination roam free in your kitchen and with your craft supplies. Once you start looking around your home (and grocery store) for alphabet teaching “tools” you might be surprised at how many ways you can teach your child the alphabet.

While teaching your child the alphabet is an important part of teaching your child to read and preparing for their education, it does not need to be difficult, boring, or expensive for you or your child.

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