Have You Ever Heard a Preschooler Say, “But I Can’t Read”?
If you’ve ever handed a book to a preschooler, you’ve probably heard it: “I don’t know how to read!” Young kids are very aware that reading like grown-ups is something they can’t do, and sometimes, that realization leads to frustration.
But here’s the thing—reading isn’t just about sounding out words. Before kids even get to decoding, they need to understand how reading works.
And that’s where explicitly teaching reading behaviors comes in!
What Does “Teaching How Reading Works” Even Mean?
When we teach how reading works, we’re helping kids:
- Feel comfortable with books.
- Understand how words and pictures work together.
- Recognize that reading isn’t just about letters—it’s about meaning.
The goal here isn’t mastery—it’s exposure. We’re building literacy touchpoints that will help them make sense of reading later.
The 7 Essential Skills to Teach How Reading Works
1. How Young Children Read
Preschoolers do read! They just read differently.
- Kids tell stories by looking at pictures—and that counts!
- Encourage them to “read like a preschooler.”
2. Book Handling Skills
Before kids can read, they need to know how to use a book:
- Holding it right-side up
- Turning pages gently
- Finding the front cover, back cover, and title page
3. Left-to-Right Progression & Return Sweep
- We read left to right, top to bottom.
- Fun activity: Use a “reading finger” (or a toy) to track words!
4. Word-to-Word Matching (One-to-One Correspondence)
- Every word on the page gets one spoken word.
- Try using pointers or highlighter tape to make words pop!
5. Recognizing That Many Things Can Be Read
Books aren’t the only things with words!
- Labels, cereal boxes, stop signs—reading is everywhere!
- Try a “reading hunt” around the classroom.
6. Who Writes Books & Why?
- Authors write books, and kids can be authors, too!
- Ask: “If you wrote a book, what would it be about?”
7. Illustrators & How Pictures Help Tell a Story
- Illustrations are storytelling!
- Read a wordless picture book and let kids tell the story themselves.
How to Teach These Skills Without Adding More to Your Plate
Teaching these concepts doesn’t mean creating a whole new lesson block. Instead, try:
- Swapping a regular storytime with a quick book-handling lesson.
- Using big books and pointers to show left-to-right progression.
- Encouraging kids to “read” pictures and make up their own stories.
Mini lessons like these take just 5-10 minutes but build literacy confidence for a lifetime!
Make Reading Feel Fun & Familiar
Reading isn’t just about phonics and sight words—it’s about understanding how books and language work together.
If you want to dig even deeper into early literacy, grab my FREE literacy training! In just an hour, we’ll cover:
-> Why “Letter of the Week” is outdated and what to do instead
-> How play-based learning and literacy instruction work together
-> The key early literacy skills kids actually need
👉 Sign up for the FREE Preschool Literacy Training now!
