Reading and Writing Exposure for Preschoolers

Your 3 to 4-year-old is growing up fast. Track their ability for literacy while you can.

What You Need To Know

Three-year olds Reading and Writing Milestones, Reading Building Blocks, Writing and Expectations by Grade, Cognitive Milestones Ages 3 to 5 are learning their letters, but may also refer to numbers as "letters." During this year scribbles appear more like letters. Your child will become aware of the uses for writing. They notice print in the environment, and may ask what it means.

• Increases ability to identify individual sounds and separate syllables in spoken language.
• Expose your child frequently to sign songs and poems that rhyme.

• Uses knowledge of the pictures on the cover of familiar books to choose her favorites. Understands that illustrations carry meaning but cannot be read.
• During this year, many children show an increased ability to pay attention to stories that have identifiable characters and unique events.
• Attention to stories is greater if stories are read in the child's native language, and if the child has good vocabulary and language skill.
• By the end of this year, many children can retell, by paraphrasing and by simple.
• Recognizes many books by their covers and knows the story but usually does not link specific authors to specific books.

How You Can Help

To help keep your child on track for reading expose them to many things that get their brains working. For example:

Reading and Writing Milestones, Reading Building Blocks, Writing and Expectations by Grade, Cognitive Milestones Ages 3 to 5

• Increase awareness of print in classroom, home and community. Take a print tour around your house. For every correct example your child gives you of spotted print they earn a point. Points accumulate and can be traded in for treats.
• When using marks to create writing, children typically will explain what message their writing is intended to convey.
• By the end of this year, most children realize that print in books tells a reader what to say. Most children look at pictures rather than print as books are read aloud to them and as they retell a story using the book.

• Scribbles begin to give way to letter-like designs.
• Many children begin to write the letters of their names.
• The quality and size of writing marks are greatly influenced by fine motor skills.
• By the end of this year, most children organize the marks they intend to serve as writing in a linear fashion, and in rows.
• Some children switch direction as they write, line by line.
• Most children become aware of a wide range of uses for writing, and begin to use writing for these functions.
• During this year, children learn their names as sight words, By the end of this year, some children write their name pretty well.
• Developing the skills to compose messages is influenced by verbal interactions with adults who support the telling of recent personal experiences.
• Help children make their own observations and encourage them to write about what they see.
• Provide the child with opportunities to experiment with different kinds of writing tools and materials such as pencils, crayons and computers.

Reading and Writing Milestones, Reading Building Blocks, Writing and Expectations by Grade, Cognitive Milestones Ages 3 to 5