Ever since you were pregnant with your first child, you’ve been inundated with information about how reading is wonderful for children. But you may be wondering what exactly are the benefits? Simply put, reading to your child helps them reach reading milestones and prepares them to be ready to read on their own when the time is right.

What are Reading Milestones?

Milestones are behaviors and actions a child learns as they progress in maturity. For example, a reading milestone for a toddler would be “learning books are special”. Identifying the front from the back and learning to turn the pages are part of that milestone.

Preschoolers start to identify commonly used words, or sight words such as “the”, “and”, “cat”, etc. Preschoolers can also “read” words in their environment such as the name of their favorite cereal when they see the cereal box or it’s logo. This is called environmental print. It can also be implemented by labeling things around the home (you’ll see this often in classrooms) with an objects name, i.e. “table”, “chair”, “clock”, “lamp”, etc.

Learning that we read from right to left is most often a milestone reached by Kindergartners as is distinguishing uppercase letters from lowercase letters.

You can find fantastic information about reading milestones on PBS.org. And KidsHealth.org has a handy list of reading milestones.

What is Reading Readiness?

Reading readiness is simply the point at which a child is ready to read. Reaching reading milestones determines when the child is ready.

This short video featuring Dr. Tiffani Chin of EdBoost Learning Center helps explain reading readiness:

Schoolwork: Helping Your Child:
Learning To Read

Exposing children to words and letters early on helps them reach milestones and obtain the readiness they’ll need to begin reading on their own. In addition to providing them with books; toys and games such a magnetic alphabet letters on the refrigerator and phonics flash cards are fun ways to keep them interested in all things reading!