Most people believe that reading is something that needs to be taught. While that statement isn't entirely wrong, I believe most go about it wrong, creating problems and stress where there need not be any. Children are tiny little sponges, they are always learning, and if we create an environment & relationship dynamic that is conducive to learning, force becomes entirely unnecessary. Below I have created a general guideline to how children naturally learn to read, and added a few tid bits on how you can help them along the way!
1) Baby hears and observes.
From the moment your tiny human is born, they are learning. They are observing, feeling, and experiencing life. It is important to speak often to your baby, even when they're super tiny, and make sure they can see your face, because this helps them to learn to communicate through speech. It will be a little while before you hear a comprehensible word from them, but those early coos & gurgles are an important stepping stone for baby! Also, responding to their cries is important as well, beyond bonding, it teaches them how to communicate to get their needs met, which is an important first step for them.
2) Baby mimicks and learns to talk.
After a while, your baby (or sometimes toddler) will realize their voice can communicate in ways other than crying. It will start with coos & gurgles & all things adorable baby sounds (including screaming/squealing!) and at some point those sounds will start to resemble the words of the language you speak.
3) Toddler expresses thoughts and feelings through art.
Toddlers are notorious for their love of coloring & painting! They've learned that their hands can do things, and now they find joy and take great pride in expressing themselves through their artistic creations! Allow them to do this as often as possible, and try to see the beauty in their coloring on the wall, rather than the inconvinience. Crayon washes off, a broken spirit is much more difficult to fix.
4) Toddler/Young Child becomes interested in written communication.
At some point, your child will become interested in written communication. They notice you writing or typing, or the words in their favorite bedtime story, and they become intrigued with the idea of writing things.
5) Toddler/Young Child mimics by scribbling.
You will notice toddlers or young children mimicking your writing by scribbling on anything they can reach with a crayon. They may babble or talk while doing so, and may even have made up what those scribbles say and proudly "read" it to you. Don't be afraid to show some enthusiasm! Toddlers and Young Children LOVE to feel important, accomplished, and noticed. Showing interest and enthusiasm will help grow their confidence and help them want to continue on this learning path.
6) Toddler/Young Child notices the lines/shapes you use to write words, thus becoming interested in letter recognition & letter sounds.
Your child may begin pointing to things and asking you to say the letters and words. Engage willingly whenever they show interest and they will learn! Allow them to watch you write things & copy you with their scribbles or attempts to mimic your writing.
7) Toddler/Young Child becomes interested in how letters go together to make words.
Your child will become interested in figuring out how and why letters go together to make words. They may begin to ask you to write things or say them out loud. If they have learned to write the letters, they may ask you to spell words they want to write. Often they first notice/take interest in their names, family titles, favorite words, street signs, ect. Enunciate and demonstrate how to sound things out whenever possible.
8) Young Child becomes interested in how words go together to write ideas which leads to learning about sentence structure.
Often children will ask you to write down what they say so they can see it written, and/or ask you how to spell words so they can write down their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Indulge them even if it becomes annoying (repetitive/inconvenient). The more they do this, the quicker they will grasp this concept. They may copy words or sentences from things around the house (my daughter does this with books, signs, & movies/shows). They may ask you to write things (do so with proper punctuation & grammar and they will pick up on it) and then copy what you wrote. Copying your writings is an accomplishment in itself and is an important stepping stone.
9) Child becomes interested in learning to read and write sentences, ideas, and stories. This covers paragraph structure as well.
Your child will become increasingly interested in written communication, and mastering this skill. If they show interest in writing stories, help them by allowing them to copy you or helping them spell words. Listen actively when they read their stories to you, or read it out loud for them (if they ask). It's helpful to say something nice to them about their written works, and show enthusiasm in their work. Saying something nice can be something as simple as, "You worked really hard on that." or "You wrote the letter A so well." or "That was a really nice story." There are a million and one ways to say to your child, "I see you, I hear you, I am proud of you, I love you." without even having to say those words.
10) Child begins to use their understanding of letter recognition, letter sounds, word structure, sentence structure, and paragraph structure to... You guessed it, to read!
When your child has grasped the basics and finds joy in expressing themselves through the written word, they will begin to find more interest in reading. They will notice signs, words in books, labels, ect. They will naturally observe & practice until they have mastered this skill.
**It's important to note that each child is different. They may learn things in a slightly different sequence, and they may learn earlier or later than other children. This is absolutely OK. There is no need to force or follow a specific program for children to learn this skill. You can do things to help them along the way though! If you set a good example, expose them to the written word, and actively engage when they show interest, they will learn!
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