In this blog post, we will explore how infants and toddlers begin to develop reading skills before they fully master letters, and how we can support them in this process.
Unlike listening and speaking, reading is often thought to begin only after infants and young children learn letters. However, most studies on reading development suggest that reading development begins even before that. These studies categorize the stages of reading development according to the characteristics of reading behavior and the level of understanding of text. Generally, “reading readiness” is considered to be one stage, followed by “learning letters and reading aloud,” “reading with understanding,” “reading for learning,” “reading from different perspectives,” and “reading with reconstruction of meaning.” Understanding the stages of reading development provides guidance in educational settings and plays an important role in systematically improving children’s reading skills. Reading is a comprehensive process that goes beyond simply recognizing and pronouncing letters to understanding the meaning of a text, analyzing it critically, and acquiring new knowledge.
The preparatory stage of reading is an important period in which the foundations of reading are formed. During this period, infants and young children become familiar with the shapes of letters and gain a vague understanding of the relationship between letters and sounds, even if they cannot yet recognize the letters themselves. These experiences provide an important foundation for children to understand the relationship between letters and sounds. Parents and teachers can stimulate children’s interest in reading by showing them various letter shapes and connecting them to sounds. In addition, cognitive development can be promoted through various visual stimuli such as numbers, colors, and shapes, as well as letters. Through this process, children have meaningful experiences that teach them that letters have meaning and are expressed through sounds.
According to these studies, the reading development of infants and young children in the pre-reading stage progresses through observing others reading and accumulating various experiences with letters. Infants and young children learn the beginning of a sentence, the direction in which letters are read, and how to turn pages by watching others read books. They also remember and imitate the facial expressions and gestures of the reader. Such imitation helps children enjoy reading and form a positive attitude toward it. In addition, the various information and knowledge gained through reading books help children develop an understanding of and curiosity about the world. The four areas of communication—listening, speaking, reading, and writing—influence each other and develop together. This includes infants and toddlers who do not yet know how to read, but turn the pages of a book and mumble, imitate reading, repeat what they hear, make sentences using words and phrases they have heard, and scribble pictures or letters while listening to someone read. These activities have a positive effect on the overall language development of infants and toddlers and lay the foundation for reading ability.
Reading development does not occur rapidly at a certain stage, but progresses gradually even before children learn to recognize letters. This means that children need sufficient time and various experiences to recognize and understand letters. Parents and teachers should support and encourage reading activities in various ways so that children do not lose interest. Therefore, during this period, natural guidance that allows all areas of communication to develop together, such as reading books frequently and asking questions, is helpful for reading development. It is also important to provide children with a variety of reading materials so that they are exposed to different types of texts. Through picture books, fairy tales, nursery rhymes, and other materials, children are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary and sentence structures, which leads to improved reading skills. Experiences during the preparatory stage of reading have a significant impact on subsequent stages. Therefore, the more positive and rich the experiences during this period, the more actively and confidently children will participate in reading activities in later stages.
Reading development is not simply a part of learning, but an important means for children to understand the world and acquire various information. Therefore, improving reading skills is directly linked to overall academic achievement. For example, vocabulary acquired through reading affects writing and speaking skills and plays an important role in developing logical thinking and problem-solving skills. For these reasons, continuous attention and support for reading development are essential for the overall growth and development of children.
In conclusion, reading development in infants and young children begins before they learn to read, and various experiences and environments have a significant impact on their development. Parents and teachers should provide children with rich and diverse reading experiences to encourage a positive attitude and interest in reading. Through this, children will enjoy reading and, furthermore, achieve successful growth in various areas of learning and life.
