Early Literacy By Five: A Snapshot

Kindergarten is a time of transition. Your young child is exploring more and more parts of the wide world around them, having new experiences and meeting new faces. It suddenly seems like there is a lot of growing up to do and not enough time to do it in. By 60 months old you can expect the following from your kid:

Reading:

• Recognizes and may say familiar words, like restaurant signs (McDonalds), brand names (Coca-Cola), and street signs (home address).

• Pretends to read books (e.g., by holding the book, turning pages, etc.).

• Accurately says some words in a story/book.

• Recognise and say words that rhyme (mat, hat).

• Recognise words that begin with the same sound (b: boy, bat).

• Understand that you are reading words and not just talking about pictures in books.

• Recognizes where words start and stop by pointing to spaces between words.

• Pretends to read a book by telling the story from memory

Writing:

• Starts to scribble letters, numbers or pretend letters, wavy lines and squiggles.

• Prints some large uppercase letters like A, B, C.

• Know that drawing and writing are different.

• Copies simple lines, shapes or crosses.

• Know that people write for a reason.

• Can write one letter or word to stand for a whole sentence or idea.

• Prints first name, some letters of the alphabet and numbers.

• Writes letters in no set order like a, Z, u, K, m, …

Tips & Tricks:

• Reading:

  • Reading Outside The Home:

    • Talk about what you are going to do, what you are doing and what you did. Talking helps to model for your child the words and phrases need for reading and writing.

    • Show your child printed words that are all around you (e.g., street signs, restaurants, logos, brands, etc.).

    • Go to the library and help your child pick out books.

    • Sing songs and listen to nursery rhymes in the car.

    • Talk about the things you are reading (books, recipes, newspapers, etc.)

    • Talk about looking for a number to call, reading the rules for board games, or reading text messages from friends.

  • When Sitting Down to Read:

    • Point to words, especially new or unfamiliar ones.

    • Talk about the printed words like “this word starts with a “b” and this one ends with a “t“.

    • Ask your child questions. WH-question can be a good place to start (what/when/where/etc.).

    • Ask about what just happened (retelling)/what might happen next in the story (prediction).

    • Read different types of books (e.g., fairy tales, nursery rhymes, alphabet & numbers books, picture books).

    • Read books that repeat words and phrases.

    • Play sound or word guessing games like “I’m thinking of a word that begins with ‘s’, can you think of one?” (things like I Spy are perfect examples).

    • Hang alphabet letters where your child can see them. Name the letters and ask your child to say them too.

• Writing

  • Give your child different types of stationary/letter resources (pencils, crayons, markers, sidewalk chalk, wooden blocks with letters, etc.)

  • Let your child have time to scribble, draw or write each day.

  • Show your child how you write in the world of adults (e.g., signing your name, writing to-do lists, sending texts/emails, etc.)

  • Help your child with the skills needed for writing. Activities like arts and crafts, jigsaw puzzles and bead stringing can help with coordination.

  • Add your kid’s name to their pictures and drawings. Display the proudly on the fridge for guests to see.

  • Ask your child to tell a story about a drawing. Write the words/phrases they say to show them how to recall a story in writing.

Please note the above information is general in nature and is not intended as professional medical advice. Please seek an appointment with a registered speech-language pathologist if you are at all worried about your child's development.

References:

• P Roth, F. (2006). Getting Your Child Ready for Reading and Writing. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/siteassets/uploadedFiles/Getting-Your-Child-Ready-Reading-and-Writing

• Speech Pathology Australia (2024). Literacy and Communication. www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au. https://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/Communication_Hub/Resources/Fact_Sheets/Literacy_and_communication.aspx

Suggested Resources

FREEBIE Hickory Dickory Dock: Auditory Comprehension

A classic nursery rhyme auditory comprehension and WH question activity for early learners.

FREEBIE The Gingerbread Man: Reading Comprehension

A classic fairy tale reading comprehension and sequencing activity for early readers.