In this blog post, we will look at how infants and toddlers learn to read without knowing letters, the importance of the preparatory stage of reading, and the development process.
Unlike listening and speaking, reading is often thought to begin only after infants and toddlers 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 the text. Generally, “reading readiness” is considered to be one stage, and the subsequent stages are divided into “learning letters and reading aloud,” “reading with understanding,” “reading for learning,” “reading from different perspectives,” and “reading with reconstruction of meaning.” The reading readiness stage 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, even if they cannot recognize them, and gain a vague understanding of the relationship between letters and sounds. In this process, they have meaningful experiences that teach them that letters have meaning and are expressed as sounds.
According to these studies, the reading development of infants and young children in the preparatory stage of reading progresses by observing the reading behavior of others and accumulating various experiences with letters. Infants and young children learn the beginning of a sentence, the direction of reading, and how to turn pages by watching others read books. They also remember and imitate the facial expressions and gestures of the reader. The areas of communication, such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing, influence each other and develop together. Examples include infants and young children who do not yet know letters turning the pages of a book and muttering to themselves, imitating reading, repeating what they hear, making sentences using words and phrases they have heard, and scribbling pictures or letters while listening to someone read.
Reading development does not occur rapidly at a certain point in time, but progresses gradually from before the child learns to recognize letters. Therefore, during this period, natural guidance that allows each area of communication to develop together, such as reading books frequently and asking questions, is helpful for reading development. Experiences during the preparatory stage of reading have an important influence on the subsequent stages.
During the preparatory stage, children go beyond simply learning the shapes of letters and begin to intuitively understand the structure and expressions of language. For example, when reading aloud to children, using different tones and intonations helps them learn the rhythm and emotions of language. This enables them to express themselves naturally when they read later on. In addition, listening to stories in books develops their imagination and improves their understanding of various situations. Interaction with parents and teachers is very important in this process. By asking questions, asking children what they think, and discussing stories together, children learn how to express their thoughts.
Another important factor in the preparatory stage of reading is the development of visual perception. Children develop the ability to look at pictures in picture books, understand the relationship between images and text, and infer the story through visual cues. This lays an important foundation for reading and understanding words later on. Even before learning letters, children can develop the ability to grasp the flow of a story and understand the cause-and-effect relationships between events through picture books.
Therefore, the preparatory stage for reading is not simply a time to become familiar with letters, but an important time to lay the foundation for language, imagination, and thinking skills. During this period, children’s reading development can be promoted by exposing them to a variety of books and providing a rich language environment. Ultimately, experiences during the preparatory stage for reading have a significant impact not only on subsequent reading ability, but also on overall learning ability and thinking skills.
Reading skills developed in this natural way have a positive impact on learning at school. Children become able to read and understand various learning materials on their own, which leads to motivation and confidence in learning. In addition, the knowledge and experience gained through reading also help children understand and learn other academic subjects. Ultimately, rich experiences during the reading readiness stage play an important role in children’s overall learning and development.
