Early Reading Skills (Foundation)
Early literacy is everything you learn BEFORE you can read a whole book on your own. It's holding a book the right way, knowing which way print goes, telling letters from numbers, hearing the first sound of a word. Each little skill is a step on the path to reading.
Worked examples
Which way do we read English text?
English print goes LEFT to RIGHT across a line, then jumps back to the next line down. Knowing this is part of early literacy.
Answer: left to right, top to bottom
What is the first sound in the word 'sun'?
Say the word slowly: 'ssssun'. The first sound you hear is /s/.
Answer: /s/
Tips
- •Practise the alphabet song until every letter feels familiar.
- •Point to the words as someone reads to you — your eyes learn to track print.
- •Play 'I spy something starting with /s/' to listen for first sounds.
- •Hold a book the right way up and turn pages from right to left.
Key words
literacyprintlettersoundpage