How to Develop Print Awareness
What Is Print Awareness?
A child who has print awareness understands that print represents words that have meaning and are related to spoken language.
Kids who have print awareness are able to do things like hold a book correctly and understand that books are read from front to back. They also realize that sentences are read from left to right.
Print awareness is one of five critical pre-reading skills. Without print awareness, children are unable to develop other literacy skills such as reading, spelling, and handwriting.
How Print Awareness Develops
Kids who are read to on a regular basis naturally pick up many of the skills by following the examples of the people around them.
A child’s print awareness develops when those close to him point out letters and words in text found in the child’s environment. It also develops through playing word games, when you turn the pages of a book, and when you run your finger under a line of text as you read.
Quick Check for Print Awareness
Here are five signs that indicate that your child has print awareness.
Your child knows how to hold a book correctly. If you hand your child a book upside down, he will turn it right side up before looking through it.
Your child understands that books are read from front to back and from left to right and knows how to turn the pages in the correct direction.
Your child pretends to write by scribbling or writing marks on paper. He understands that the “words” he is writing communicate meaning.
Your child points to text and asks what it says. He has become curious about the meaning of the printed text he sees all around him.
Your child picks up a familiar book and “reads” it aloud. He understands that the printed words are connected to the story.
5 Fun Ways to Develop Print Awareness
The best way to develop print awareness is through a variety of print-rich experiences. Here are five engaging activities to enjoy with your child.
Teach the Alphabet
Teach your child to recognize the letters of the alphabet through the activities in this blog post. You’ll find ABC Playdough Mats, ABC Bracelets, Tactile Letter Cards, and more.
Tell a Story
Have your child tell you a story. If your child needs a prompt, wordless picture books are great for this! Write it down on paper for her to illustrate.
Make a Sign
Help your child create signs for the doors in the house, such as “Welcome to Lexi’s room,” “Bathroom,” “Mom and Dad’s Room,” or “The Kitchen Is Open.”
Read the Mail
When the mail is delivered each day, have your child help you sort it according to which family member’s name is on the label. If interesting cards, ads, or magazines arrive, read parts of them aloud.
Read Aloud
Read lots of picture books aloud to your child. Read reviews of fantastic picture books to share together, or download our extensive list. As you read to your child:
- Mention the parts of a book as you read. “Look at this cover! This book must be about elephants!” “The End…that’s the last page of the book.”
- Have your child help you turn the pages.
- Model that we read from left to right by occasionally running your finger under the text as you read.
- Ask your child to point to the first word on the page.
- Occasionally point out periods and exclamation points.
Print Awareness Is One of the Big Five Skills
Print awareness is one of the five critical skills for reading readiness that we call the “Big Five Skills.” The other four skills are:
If you’re ready to tackle the rest of the Big Five Skills, be sure to check out the All About Reading Pre-reading program. Your student will enjoy special games, crafts, and story time read-alouds, and you will love the way your student effortlessly learns essential pre-reading skills.
Do you have any questions about print awareness? Post in the comments below!
Katie B.
says:My child is at the print awareness stage, and this gives so many fun ideas for helping her get ready to read. I will have to check out the related posts as well.
Charlotte McManus
says:Thanks!
Stephanie
says:My child is just starting to notice letters and numbers so this gives me a “spring board” for ideas to teach him in preschool. Thanks so much.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Stephanie. We have lots of other blog posts and downloads for preschool learning that you might want to check out too! Preschool Blog Posts
Tulisha
says:Thank you for this blog. Thanks for the clear explanations you give (like explaining how what print awareness is) and the practical tips to practice at home!
Jennifer
says:Never heard of this term before. Good info!
Rebecca
says:Thank you, this information is very useful
Amber
says:We’ve been working on print awareness lately. My son loves to “write” letters and send cards to family and mail them. It’s wonderful watching them learn by doing.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmber,
Sending cards and letters to family is such a sweet and lovely way to build print awareness! What a wonderful idea.
Autumn Rowland
says:Thank you for this! Definitely needed to read it!
Cathy
says:Good information! Working on some of these already!
Kavita
says:What is more appropriate for the child to learn first- upper case alphabet or lowercase alphabet?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKavita,
Great question! Children learn upper case letters more easily because there is less confusion with upper case. A child is unlikely to mistake a B for a D, but mistaking b and d is very common. We have a blog post on How to Teach the Alphabet to Preschoolers that I think you will find helpful, plus it has a number of free games and activities to help make the learning fun.
Does this answer your question? Let me know if I can help further.
Sydney Maglosky
says:I always use my finger and follow the words as we read.
Holly Sills
says:My child loves story telling which fosters print awareness as supported by this article. He first fell in love with a story being told to him and now likes telling his own stories. He is learning to use his imagination and learning to add descriptive details to his stories. We also label things in our school area and around the house which prompts print awareness. He has started to read different words he sees on signs and stores when we are in town or traveling. These are some very good suggestions for print awareness.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHolly,
I enjoyed reading how storytelling is helping your child develop print awareness! Thank you for sharing this.
Brooke
says:I make sure to use my finger to point to the words as we read aloud as reinforcement for print awareness.
Lisa
says:Thanks for the great ideas!
Sharon
says:My son is very mechanical oriented so noticing the on off on light switches is how he started print awareness.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSharon,
What an interesting thing for him to notice!
Gwen
says:I teach print awarenees during reading workshop. I have found this practice makes the children appreciate reading, being a book lover, and learning more.
Sara L
says:This is just what I needed to read! Thank you for all of your helpful posts about the process of learning to read!
Teresa Rollins
says:So very Helpful! I am a grandmother having to homeschool grandkids who are 3rd,4th,5th,6th grade. Have used your Free resources nd found them very helpful!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTeresa,
I love hearing that our resources on our blog are helpful to so many parents, grandparents, teachers, and tutors!
Chris Clark
says:Great ideas!
James Greene
says:Very interesting tips!
Katie B
says:I’ve got an almost 4 year old who wants to “read big books” like her big brother. The printable was helpful for ideas to help support her in starting to do this.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKatie,
I love that this blog post will help you help your 4-year-old meet her desire to “read big books”! What a great desire to have!
Janelle
says:Really loved the free printables! This really helped narrow down where my child is in his reading process.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJanelle,
I’m pleased this has helped you narrow down where your child is at!
Let me know if you have any questions or need anything.
Yolanda W
says:We are almost to the finish line with level 1. We have Level 2 so winning level 3 would be awesome! It’s been perfect for my boy.
Liz O
says:Great tips for littles getting ready to read!
Jordan
says:We are excited to start our journey with AAR and AAS!
Jeannette
says:His is great information for gauging where my 3 yr old is at. Baby steps on his way to learning to read!
Lindsay
says:Good tips! Love AAR!
Alyce ten haaf
says:Thankyou. It helps to know what to look for, especially since all kids develop these skills at different ages!
Suzanna
says:Awesome guide to follow. Love AAR and AAS!
Stacy
says:I just gave your 5 step test… Print awareness✅
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceStacy,
Hurray for being able to check readiness skills off!
Spirit Carr
says:Great tips, thanks AAR!
Lauren
says:Thanks for the great information
Emanuela
says:Thank you for the great tips! Always a good read.
Veronica
says:Love this program and blog, thank you for making it seem so easy to teach!
Deanna
says:Great tips once again! Thank you.
Christi
says:We love AAR! Thanks for these tips!
Lori
says:Mine love books. My 3-year-old does most of these things.
Mandy
says:We love AAR!
Kim
says:I love reading to my little ones!thanks for the tips!
Tracie W
says:Thanks for the tips!
Joy
says:These are all easy, fun ways to help your child develop important reading strategies!
Amy Mac
says:My 6 boys all learned this organically, since we are avid readers.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmy,
Yes, many kids do learn print awareness very naturally from lots and lots of exposure to books. It’s great to know you can check off a foundational readiness skill from just going about your regular family activities!
Betsey
says:Great info and ideas. Reading is so individual and I have come to learn that you really have to wait until the child is ready no matter what curriculum or books you use.
Tracey
says:We love how the Pre Reading program teaches these skills.
Beamer/Penny
says:This was a reassuring read, to know my son does have print awareness. He realized letters make words last year!
Kristen
says:Love this!
Andrea
says:Can’t wait to start my youngest next year! Expecting great things!
Emily
says:I cannot wait to get started with my youngest!! She is so excited to read like her older siblings!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceEmily,
I love that eager excitement in young learners! Enjoy it!
Emily
says:Great ideas!
Joy H
says:Thanks for the ideas
Gail
says:I love using AAL. My son used it to learn to read, he loves reading! My daughter who is 6 is using it and is doing great!
Robin
says:Good ideas. Thank you.
Melody Hiner
says:Great info!
Kayla B
says:Thanks for the great information!
Lynn
says:My son has been so successful with this program. Thank you.
Sabrina
says:Wonderful information! Nothing better than reading to my children every day.
aCog
says:Great information! I have found reading to my child daily especially helpful.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYes! Reading aloud to children is important for print awareness and many other things as well.
Stephanie
says:Some nice ideas. We often use our finger to follow along in the hymnal when singing a church
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceStephanie,
You are doing double work with using your finger in the hymnal at church. You are working on print awareness and music awareness!
Iris Leaver
says:This program really kick-started my child’s interest in learning to read! We’re starting our next level next month and couldn’t be more excited!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceIris,
It’s great that you and your child are excited about reading! What a great foundation you are building! Congratulations on finishing a level.
Chantelle
says:Ziggy makes learning so much fun for my kids!
Andrea
says:Helpful!
Helen
says:My boys loved Ziggy!
Angela
says:Thank you for the great article! Very helpful!
Tamara
says:AAR pre level was some of the best memories for me and my kids. They are 7 and 10 now and they still won’t let me get rid of Ziggy!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceTamara,
Awww. I love that Ziggy, and the Pre-reading level, left you with such sweet memories!
Kristen
says:Thanks for the info! These are great tips!
Kristen
says:Thank you for the info! These are great tips!
Christy Holloway
says:Good stuff!
Katharine
says:Great tips
Alexis
says:I love this!
Kim
says:Great tips!
Meredyth
says:Thank you for providing such wonderful and important information. I don’t know who’s enjoying AAR more – me or my kids!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMeredyth,
I love that you are enjoying AAR as much or even more than your kids! It’s wonderful to teach something you enjoy.
Gillian Carnahan
says:These are great suggestions!
Sara L
says:These are great suggestions!
Stacy
says:Great tips!
Emily Gebhart
says:These are some great tips. I will use them with my children.
Sonya Kepner
says:Love these ideas !
Harmony
says:Interesting, never thought of it this way but lots of good tips.
Sarah
says:I had never heard of this before. So cool.
Jen Delong
says:Great tips!
Anna S
says:These are great pointers for reading readiness. I like that Its not really academic, because at this age level I want my kids to relax. Also, it works for any language; great for my bilingual kids!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceGreat points, Anna! I agree that it’s important for little ones to not be focused on academics, but so much learning can happen with play and time together. I hadn’t thought about how this would apply to any language, but of course it does. Thanks for pointing that out.
Alex rogers
says:Thank you for the info!
Heather Prather
says:Such an awesome program. My daughter has benefited greatly from it.
Stephenia
says:Thanks for this information. It has given me an understanding of what to look for and how to help my grands become print aware.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou’re welcome, Stephenia. I’m glad this has helped you to help your grandchildren.
Pevz
says:Extensive program, Praise God for it!
Lisa
says:Great program
Morganne
says:print awareness, I would never have thought of that as something so important.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMarganne,
Yes, print awareness is one of those readiness skills that I never thought about but later learned is so important for reading. Thankfully, teaching print awareness isn’t hard and it can be a lot of fun!
Jimmy Glaze
says:SO GLAD I FOUND THIS SITE. HOPE I WIN!
Joy Phelps
says:Looking forward to beginning this program
Rachelle
says:Great topic! Thank you for the information
Lorraine Gilliam
says:Just purchased this program and cannot wait to begin to use it.
Ana
says:What a wonderful post. Thanks for sharing this great ideas.
francheska churchill
says:Sounds like an awesome program! I am going to have to research this like crazy the get lol.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceFrancheska,
Can I help you with your research? I’d love to answer any questions you may have or point you toward more information. You might like to begin here, as it has a good overview of both of our programs.
Sara
says:Looking forward to reading with my kids with this program.
Melanie hopkins
says:Thank you for sharing
Nichole Millikan
says:Such a great resource!
Jenn
says:Great tips!!! Thanks so much!
Evelynne
says:Just ordered the pre-reading program and Ziggy for my soon to be pre-K kiddo. She can’t wait for Ziggy to arrive!
Heather
says:My daughter struggles with reading. I have heard this program is wonderful and would help her.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHeather,
I’m sorry to hear your daughter is struggling with reading. However, our motto is literally “We take the struggle out of reading and spelling.”
Do you have any questions or concerns? I’d love to help.
Jamie
says:Looks great
Jessica
says:We love this program! Both of my kids are learning to read well. I recommend this program to friends all the time, especially those that have struggling readers and spellers.
Natalie
says:I just sped thru the Pre-Reading level (as a review to fill in an gaps) with my dyslexic 1st grader, and he did great! His 4 yr old brother often listened in and kept easily kept up. I’m planning to take the younger one thru it on his own for kindergarten next year (or maybe we’ll start early this summer after his formal prek class ends). All my kids have fallen in love with Ziggy!
Rachel
says:I’ve heard great things about this program. Looking forward to trying it with my kids.
Mary Beth Wanamaker
says:Would love to try this curriculum.
Melissa
says:We suspect dyslexia in my 5 yo and are hopeful that this helps us!!
Melissa S
says:AAR has been a huge benefit for my dyslexic twins!
Anita Flinchum
says:All very good information..and helpful as well. Would love the opportunity to share this with my grandkids.
S. Moore
says:This program is awesome! My son is finally advancing and is not afraid to attempt to read things in public. He wants to buy comic books and wants to read stories. He started having issues in 2nd grade and they did an IEP for him for 3rd grade. He wasn’t getting any better and was falling behind more and more. It was affecting every aspect of his schooling. I took matters into my own hands and got this product. It has changed everything about reading for my son and therefore my family. He no longer feels defeated and says he is happy now…..he sees and feels his own improvement! We just finished Level 1 and will be moving onto Level 2. Winning this would be extremely helpful considering I am now homeschooling him. Thank you!!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI loved reading about your son’s confidence and enthusiasm in reading now! How exciting! Thank you for sharing this.
Nidhi Chauhan
says:Thanks for posting free resources. You are helping to lots of parents like me.
Karen Magreevy
says:I am fairly sure my child is ready to start Pre-Reading. He is in Special Ed at our local School District and learning nothing. I would LOVE to win this level to start the program with him.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKaren,
I am so sorry to hear your child isn’t learning!
In case you haven’t seen it, we have a placement test for the Pre-reading level as well as the other levels of All About Reading. Look it over, and then if you have questions about where to start your child, let me know. I’m happy to help you with placement or anything else!
Amanda Payne
says:I am wanting to try this curriculum during the summer time to fill in any gaps before we start next school year. Is it made to take a full school year?
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAmanda,
Great question, but it’s kind of hard for me to answer.
All About Reading and All About Spelling are designed for you to take them at your student’s pace. We recommend working for about 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week. We find that short, daily lessons work better than longer but fewer sessions. Each day you’ll spend a few minutes reviewing and then you’ll pick up in the book wherever you left off previously. Some lessons may be easy for your child, and you’ll go through them quickly, while others may be more difficult. Spend as much time as your child needs to master the material. If your child starts to forget things, that’s a sign that you need to slow down and do more review. This article mastery-based learning explains this further.
Most beginners will spend a year per level in All About Reading, though some will go through a level and a half the first year. Older, remedial students may move faster than that. How long each level takes will vary greatly depending on your student, how old she is, what she already knows, and if she is having struggles.
I hope this helps and am sorry I can’t give a clearer answer. Please let me know if you have more questions.
Natalie
says:It takes you through the alphabet in 3 rounds (Uppercase, Lowercase, sounds). Since my 6 yr old was mostly familiar with the alphabet, but struggled with a few reversals and alternative sounds…I combined each of the three lessons to do 1 letter all at once, (and if his attention/attitude was favorable with covered 2 letters in 1 day).
Belynda
says:Thanks, your blog is full of helpful ideas and explanations!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m very happy to that you have found the blog so helpful, Belynda!
Karen Dick
says:Thanks for the free resources!
Heather
says:What a wonderful program! It looks like it really breaks things down and focuses on the small things needed for learning how to read.
Chrystal Love
says:What an excellent program ! Everything is laid out so clearly and easy to use.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI’m happy to hear that you find the program easy to use, Chrystal!
Ruth Rosa-Schmidt
says:I absolutely this program.. My kids love.ziggy and he will be with us for years to come.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRuth,
Ziggy is such a special guy! I got a nice smile reading how much your kids love him. Thank you.
Amber
says:I appreciate the way everything is laid out for us that don’t know what we are looking for.
Stephanie Berhorst
says:Awesome blog!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAwww, thank you, Stephanie. I’m very happy to hear you like it!
Ashley
says:Some great ideas as we go through AAR’s pre-reading program. Thanks!
Louise B
says:I love all of the ideas you have to help improve print awareness, but I love all the links for resources even more. This is just such a critical component of learning.
Jennifer H
says:Thank you for sharing! I have the info very helpful.
Donald Knight
says:Informative.
Dawn Tackett
says:Thank you!
Candice
says:How fun! Thanks for all the ideas!
Crystal
says:wonderful information!
Julie
says:So good.
Christine Gay
says:So helpful !!
Katie Waalkes
says:This is really so important I wish I had learned this earlier in parenting but so glad I have now.
Royelle Mickelson
says:Having book talks was the best part of the day when my children were young.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceI know what you mean, Royelle! But it doesn’t have to end when they get older. I still enjoy books with my kids that are teens. They are just much thicker books now. :D
Connie
says:Thanks for allowing me to get free resources!!! It’s such act of kindness and an shows that you have a love for students.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceAwww, you’re welcome, Connie!
Connie
says:I would love to find a way to help my ECE kids that are in the 4th grade and still cannot read. It breaks my heart!!!! Thanks for considering such an awesome gift.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceConnie,
It is heartbreaking to think of kids not being able to read! Thank you for what you do with your students.
Jessica
says:Great advise! Will definitely try!
Ash
says:Thanks for that post! I will definitely use these tactics with my children.
Serena
says:It never occurred to me to read the mail to my child. Maybe because it usually bills.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceSerena,
Yeah, it seems to me that mail used to be much more interesting. However, my little ones learned to be able to recognize the names of family members even before they could read and liked the responsibility to “deliver” the mail to whomever’s name was on it.
Amy
says:Just purchased both, and am looking forward to trying each.
Mandy
says:Thanks for some great ideas!
liannpa
says:Great Information! Thanks!
Karen
says:Thanks for always bringing it back to the big 5
Jessica W.
says:First child being taught to read with AAR. Print Awareness tips very helpful! Thank you!!!
Morgan
says:So Helpful, thank you.
Kim
says:Wonderful, sensible ideas! Thank you!
Adriana Fitz
says:Thank you for the great ideas! These are wonderful for me to introduce to my 3 yr old and 5 yr old at the same time :)
Emily
says:There’s some great ideas here!
Kathy
says:Great tips!
Jessica Bailey
says:Love your 5 tips to Print Awareness! Thanks for easy-to-understand lesson plans and fun ways to teach my children! I appreciate that All-About-Reading is an open-and-go curriculum! I recommend it to all my homeschooling, mama friends. :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThanks for recommending All About Reading, Jessica! I’m happy to know you have found AAR to be easy to understand and open-and-go to use.
Kindra Jazwick
says:It seems so simple once you’re an adult, but print awareness doesn’t come naturally for all kids.
Kristin
says:I like the simplicity of this article. It provides practical approaches to build skills. Thanks for the tips.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKristin,
You’re welcome. I’m glad you found this a practical help.
Catie
says:I’m loving this program already and we are only in the pre reading level! It’s the exact right approach for a young learner.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Catie!
Sara
says:I seriously love this approach and the kits. My kids are still young, so I am hoping to use the AAR and AAS kits as they grow!
Stacy Willis
says:I started my now 6 year old on the pre reading level. He did such a great job, I decided to keep going. We are almost halfway through level 1 and I see so much progress! We love the games and it isn’t overwhelming. I’ve started my 4 year old on pre reader, and he’s blossoming :) he doesn’t enjoy coloring, so we paint a lot. But he knows all the letters and really enjoys the games with Ziggy. I recommend this program often!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceStacy,
Thank you for sharing how your children are progressing with All About Reading. We did a lot of painting with the Pre-reading level too, for the same reason.
Marilyn
says:THANK YOU for the simple reminders of how to develop print awareness!
BOUREN ADRA
says:Wish I had this with my older children, and look forward to using it with my younger two.
keshav chettri
says:Excellent and exciting tips for all-
Thanks for the helping tips.
Laura L.
says:Thanks for the reminder to label things around the house! Will do today!
CaryLynn Hough
says:Thank you for all of the great tips and activities. I can’t wait to dive into the All About reading program
Lindsay nichols
says:Thank you!
Debbie Wheeler
says:Such great, and yet easy advice! This info needs to be posted where parents will often see it, as a gentle reminder. Thanks!
Lydia H.
says:These kits look amazing! Can’t wait to try them with my daughter!
Quanetta
says:Wow! This is very useful to and for kids. This should be in every household.
Jennifer A.
says:Thank you for this resource and all of your excellent resources! They always help me, as a homeschool mom, to continue to learn and grow in my knowledge on this subject, which in turn helps me be a better teacher!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceWhat high praise, Jennifer! We are very happy to be a helpful and encouraging resource for you.
Rebecca
says:I’m looking forward to seeing my daughter learn to read with this program.
Ter Mac
says:Print Awareness is so important! I love how you incorporated parent reading into the importance of left to right reading and tracking.
Rachel Gray
says:I didn’t know about The Big Five. This gives me some direction for one on one time with my pre-reader. :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceRachel,
The Big Five Reading Readiness Skills are great things to spend time on in the pre-reading years!
MICHELLE HULL
says:Thus looks like such a great system. I volunteer at my grandchildren’s elementary school. My grandchildren along with other students that I work with are riding the “struggle bus”. I would live to have a systematic approach to helping these children that struggle more.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceMichelle,
I am so sorry to hear that your grandson and others are struggling in school. But how wonderful it is that you are willing to volunteer your time to help them.
Karen Weber
says:Thank you for all your great ideas you share! We have started using AAR this year level 2 & 3. They have been greatly enjoying it! It has been helping so much with decoding words, and phonics rules. It’s so easy to use on the part of teacher as well. Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Karen!
Robin Kuhl
says:Thank you for sharing this.
Michelle
says:The idea to make signs labeling the rooms will be fun to implement.
Tami
says:Thank you so much for helping those of us parents that homeschool with the tools we need to have confidence in teaching our children.
Ellen
says:It would be awesome to win the All About Reading Pre-reading! I would like to try it with my Kindergarten phonics intervention group at school. I have used the All About Spelling with my first grade intervention group and they are doing so well.
Thank you so much Marie for being so creative in helping children to connect to reading and spelling developmentally!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceEllen,
Thank you for letting us know that All About Spelling is helping your first grade intervention group!
Sarah
says:Thank you for sharing wonderful and fun ways to reinforce print awareness!
Olivia
says:I have been reading the excellent reviews of All about Spelling! I am hoping to make the switch this year for my struggling spellers.
JENNA SYBERT
says:We are Worthing in this with my kindergartener.
Chelsie
says:Thank you for this list. I agree these are things we tend to do naturally with our children. But it’s reassuring to know how important it is!
Patrice Ashton
says:I live the idea about making signs! We also love to make cards !
Alexis Rebman
says:I think these are great ideas. Thanks so much for all the tips you give us
Katie
says:We have four (soon to be five) children who use AAR. They are always eager to work on their daily lesson. I’m an Occupational Therapist by background, and I appreciate the multi-sensory approach to teaching reading. It engages them in fun and interactive ways. This program is, without a doubt, top-notch.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceThank you, Katie! We appreciate your experienced feedback on this.
Rita Gabriela Santos
says:Excellent tips. Thank you !
Kari Dameron
says:We use AAS and love it! Now we want to switch our reading program to AAR hoping it’s as effective as their spelling program.
Rachel
says:Very helpful! Thanks.
Jessica
says:Yay! It is a pleasant surprise to be able to mentally check off and think my kid has a good handle on print awareness. Thanks for the encouragement!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceYou are welcome, Jessica!
Ginger
says:We just started using the spelling system with our son (4grade) because he was really struggling. Our daughter (1grade) was begging us to have spelling time each day.
Hilary
says:Great info! Thanks!
Mary
says:Thanks for the fun ideas!
Cynthia G
says:Loving the blogs and tips. Thanks!
Shauna
says:Have been enjoying this program with my two boys!
Hazeline
says:Can two children work on the same level at different ages
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHazeline,
Yes, if they are at the same level academically. However, if it is likely that one will need much more review and the other progresses quicker, it might be best to work with them independently. We have a blog post that discusses the considerations of teaching children together in the same level. Tips for Teaching Multiple Kids Together Please let us know if you have further questions.
Kristin
says:I love this program! It has helped my boys so much!
Suzan Greenfield
says:Excellent resource with precise instructions. Thank you very much.
Katy
says:Excited to see how my son is progressing through on his pre-reading. These are helpful signs to look for!
Nena
says:Thanks for the great information!
Becky
says:Thank you for this information! 😀
Rebecca
says:Thanks for the ideas!
Emilee Alcantara
says:Great tips!
Ashley
says:Thank you for the tips!
Cristen Woolston
says:Thank you for sharing the importance of print awareness. My daughter used to make up stories by following along with the pictures. It wasn’t until she developed better print awareness, that she understood the importance of learning the letters and their sounds.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCristen,
Thank you for sharing an example of how a child can enjoy books and still not have good print awareness. I’m sure this will be helpful to others.
gloria
says:Thank you
Vicki
says:Reading the mail is a great one! I’ve even asked family to send letters addressed to her so that she can see her name!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceVicki,
My kids loved to get mail! Having a family member willing to write your little one regularly is great.
Angie
says:Great tips!
Catherine
says:So glad I read this. I am going to be intentional and include these activities when we read books. Thank you!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceCatherine,
We’re happy to hear this will be helpful and allow you to be more intentional. Thank you.
Cynthia Hochstetler
says:AAR and AAS are helping my Dyslexic son.
Neisha
says:My youngest is 2 and loves books. This is good to know as she grows. She loves being “read to” although many times that means paraphrasing the sentences or even just describing the pictures.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceNeisha,
I remember those sweet days!
You might find our many Picture Book Reviews helpful in choosing reading materials. Each includes a printable list to take to the library.
Vanessa Wainwright
says:Great tips! My twins are almost 4 and love reading! They actually exhibit most of these traits. My daughter is eager to learn reading, and constantly brings books asking what the letters say. It’s exciting!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceVanessa,
Yes! It is very exciting when you see the love of learning bloom in your children!
Helen
says:Love these hints! My daughter loves to make little books of scribbles, with a few words like her name thrown in. Love to see her progress, and I really think Ziggy the Zebra is helping with it :)
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceHelen,
I love that stage when they “write” pages and pages of scribbles. It shows so clearly that they understand the concept of the written word. Plus, it’s so cute!
Karianne
says:This is super helpful! Thank you!
Sherri
says:Interested in this learning program.
Christy Faust
says:Thank you for all the good information.
Kathy
says:I’m enjoying my grandchildren and their developing print awareness! I have been significantly impacted as I have learned about Orton-Gillingham and it is delightful to take some of that awareness with me as I spend time with my grandchildren.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKathy,
How wonderful you can help prepare your grandchildren for reading!
Kira
says:I had never heard of print awareness. I just figured it was a natural step in understanding or copying when being read to. I love when I find out things like this that let me know my daughter is on track and doing things correctly!
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceKira,
Print awareness is something that is naturally learned for many children, but it is important to know about these sorts of Reading Readiness Skills to ensure your little is on track for reading success.
Roxy
says:I always try to track the print with my finger when I read aloud to pre readers. That has been very helpful for my sons.
Charlotte
says:Thanks for this helpful post!
Alison
says:Great information, thanks!
lori
says:Thanks for this information!
ko
says:The 5 fun ways to develop print awareness were helpful.
Jennifer Archibald
says:Thanks! Many of these come naturally.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceJennifer,
Yes, for many children these skills can come naturally. However, there are some that need to be explicitly taught these things in order to understand them.
Andrea
says:Thanks for the tips!
Lucinda Dugger
says:Great ideas. I do many of these with my 4 year old and I see how quickly she’s picking up the alphabet and understanding basic reading skills.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceLucinda,
It’s great that your little one is picking up these reading readiness skills quickly!
Stacy
says:Great information! Thanks!
Julia
says:Great ideas for my 5 year old!
Deborah Demaree
says:Learned about this curriculum through Cathy Duffy top 102 home-school curriculum. Really like what I’m seeing and want to discover more for my 3 year old.
Robin E.
says: Customer ServiceDeborah,
Do you have any specific questions? You can see samples of All About Reading here, and this blog post has a video of a lesson from level 1 so you can see it in action (it’s near the bottom of the blog post).
Amy
says:We love AAR and AAS!! Working on teaching my third child to read with AAR and it is amazing to watch his excitement as things start to click. So thankful for this program!
Mary
says:All About Reading and Spelling has been very helpful for my dyslexic son.
Maggie L
says:Great ideas thank you!