Do you point to the words when you read with your child?

This is Episode 6 in our Reading Readiness Series, and it focuses on a foundational skill: print awareness.
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Print awareness means understanding that printed words carry meaning. It’s the knowledge that we read from left to right, top to bottom, and that words are made up of letters.
You can nurture this awareness every day by:

• Letting your child hold the book
• Pointing to words as you read
• Encouraging page-turning
• Noticing print on signs, menus—even cereal boxes

These simple habits build familiarity and confidence—key ingredients for reading success.
Let print become part of your everyday moments. It’s a small shift that leads to big growth.

Does your child have trouble following directions or sitting for a story?
This is Episode 7 in our Reading Readiness Series, and we’re focusing on a skill that often gets overlooked: listening.
Before children can become strong readers, they need to be able to listen, focus, and follow along. If a child struggles with listening, they may also find it difficult to process stories and understand what they read.
You can help build listening skills through simple, playful activities:

• Games like Simon Says
• Two-step directions like “Touch your nose, then hop once”
• Shared storytime with gentle reminders to listen

Start small, be consistent, and make it fun. Strengthening listening now lays the groundwork for reading success later.

Why are nursery rhymes and silly rhyming books so important for reading?
This is the fifth video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it shines a light on a fun—and powerful—early literacy skill: rhyming.
Rhyming helps children hear patterns in words, which is a building block for recognizing word families like cat, hat, and bat. These patterns make it easier for kids to decode new words when they start reading. But that’s not all—rhyming also boosts memory, listening, and prediction skills, all of which support reading comprehension.
So pull out a rhyming book, read it aloud, and enjoy the rhythm and repetition.
You're not just having fun—you’re building a reader.

The Mirror of the Classroom: Reflecting on Growth and Impact

Yesterday I had the opportunity to spent time with Dr. Williams and the educators in this year’s mentorship group. We reflected on resilience, classroom culture, and how far they’ve come in 2024-2025 — while sharpening their vision for the year ahead.

Is your child learning letter names—or letter sounds?
This is the fourth video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it focuses on a critical early literacy skill: understanding letter sounds.
While letter names are useful, what really builds a foundation for reading is knowing the sounds each letter makes. For example, the letter B makes the /b/ sound. Recognizing this sound helps children begin to blend sounds into words—an essential step in learning to read.
You can support your child by making sounds a part of everyday life. Try pointing to letters in books, on signs, or in toys and asking, “What sound does this letter make?” That simple question encourages sound recognition and boosts reading readiness.
Shift the focus to letter sounds, and watch your child’s reading skills begin to grow.

Can your child clap out the beats in a word or hear the first sound in “banana”?
This is the third video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it highlights a key early literacy skill: phonological awareness.
Before children can read words, they need to hear and play with the sounds in them. Activities like rhyming, clapping out syllables, and noticing beginning or ending sounds might seem simple—but they’re powerful. These fun, sound-based games help build the brain pathways needed for decoding words later on.
Play a sound game today—it’s building reading skills in disguise.

Did you know that every conversation with your child helps prepare them to read?
This is the second video in our Reading Readiness Series, and it’s all about the power of language.
Talking to your child builds their vocabulary, helps them understand sentence structure, and strengthens their ability to make connections—all of which are essential for reading. Simple conversations in the car, at the store, or during playtime all make a difference.
Describe what you’re doing. Ask them to explain things back to you. These everyday moments are building blocks of literacy.
Talk, listen, and explore language together. It all counts.

Does your child know the alphabet—but still seem unsure about reading?

This is the first video in our Reading Readiness Series, where we explore what it really means to be ready to read.

Reading readiness is more than just knowing letters. It includes listening skills, vocabulary, sound awareness, and a love for stories. If your child enjoys being read to, plays with sounds, and shows curiosity about books, they’re already on the right path—even if they haven’t started reading yet.
Reading is a journey that begins long before the first word is read. Pay attention to their curiosity and the conversations they start—that’s where reading truly begins.