Reading Readiness Skills

So I know that in my plan for the year I mentioned teaching Big Monkey to read once he masters more of the pre-reading readiness skills. I'm sure some people, thought, "what are the readiness skills?" I know I was surprised to find out there was a list! So I thought I'd share what information I have found.

It's important to make sure they have all the readiness skills and are truly ready to read, otherwise you might squash their love for learning and reading. So here are the main skills:

1. Read their name
2. Recite the alphabet
3. Recognize some or all of the letters in the alphabet
4. Correspond some or all letters with their correct sound
5. Make rhymes
6. Hold a book right side up with the spine on the left, front cover showing
7. Recognize that the progression of text is left to right, top to bottom
8. Echo simple text that is read to them
9. Recognize that text holds meaning
10. Re-tell a favorite story

I've found a few other items that some consider necessary skills, but this is a pretty comprehensive list. Of course, the big thing missing from this list - they have to want and be willing to sit down and learn to read as well!

So far Big Monkey has all of the items on this list mastered except rhymes. I haven't really tested his ability to echo simple text or recognize that text holds meaning, but I'm in no rush to do that either. We did try some rhyming while I was out running one day. It was a fun way to keep Big Monkey occupied in the jogging stroller, and he thought it was pretty funny. I realized it is much harder to come up with rhyming words on the spot! We read a lot of books that rhyme and sing rhyming songs, but he hasn't seem to put those things together. So we're going to work on that now and talk about what rhyming is and what words rhyme! That way later this year maybe we can start on some reading lessons. Now wouldn't that be exciting! Then he can read Curious George to me at bedtime!