How do you introduce a 4 yr. old to reading and writing?

Question

How do you introduce a 4 yr. old to reading and writing?

Answer 1

my question for you is why are they just being introduced at 4 years old

Answer 2

Read to them at night.  Provide books for them to explore at their own leisure.  They will typically begin telling their own stories just by looking at the pictures.  

Children need to understand that print has a message and meaning.  Start with letters first.  Then explain that the sounds of letters make words.... words make sentences, etc.  

Good luck!  Exposure is the key!

Answer 3

Kids are pretty bright and absorb so much more than we realize.  The biggest two things are you reading to them and them seeing you read. Other things you can do is simply point things out when you are doing things together.  Like in a store, point out the sign over the door that says "Exit".  Or show them the "On" and "Off" button on a game.  They will pick it up.  One day my son read the words off a truck that spelled "Got Milk?"  Guess where he picked that up from?  Television.  Spending time with your four year old and giving them good sources for learning (books, certain television programs, computer resources like Noggin.com or Disney.com) will get them started in the right direction.  As far as writing, have them scribble.  You can teach them how to print letters, lines, and curves, and shapes.  I use a highlighter and write it for him and he copies over it.  Then I progressed to a dot to dot type writing.  And don't pressure your child.  There is so much emphasis on getting our child on par with everyone else that we forget the most important thing at this age is simply PLAY!!

Answer 4

Read to them every day and give them paper and pencil. Play little writing games with them like showing a picture of a lion and what the word starts with. Then have them write it.

Before I could write, my mother gave me lined paper and I used to pretend I was writing. I'd fill pages with my "words."

Answer 5

the introduction to reading could begin as early as newborn age, read, read, read, read to them; allow them to see you and others around them reading. Have available to them many different types of reading materials(books, newspapers, "junk" mail, posters, food labels/advertisments, tape/books sets, etc) be sure these are available all the time and that you teach them how to care for them(clean hands, dont tear them) and if they will not or cannot handle one type take it away temporarily and then return after some more demonstrations. show them where to find reading material in "real life" billboards, signs in stores, cook books, telephone books, take them to the library (for both story time and other times to check out books) point out both letters and patterns of letters in all of these places....and then let them take some of the lead as to how far and how fast to keep progressing.......

As far as writing goes its much too early....you can be giving them large size crayons, and markers and paper and introduce them to how to use these items, but there are some other steps that are much more important to start with....begin with lots of time to use playdough(either store bought or home made) allow them to have lots of time to manipulate and make lots of shapes and things...then procede to using a large tray (or cookie sheet) with some of the following items to "write" in with their fingers---cornmeal, salt, pudding, flour, etc. and then move on to working with premade shapes of letters made out of sandpaper, or other material that can be felt by the child(this helps them to learn the shapes of the letters which in turn will help them began to write....after several months of this behavior you can then begin showing them how to actually write the letters of their name(this is usually the first thing a child has to learn to write) be sure you use only upper case letters to start the name and lower case letters to write the rest(if not this will cause problems later on--with the teacher and between you too)....you can also post the names of objects in your home and have the child trace the letters......one of my own childrens favorite way to learn to read and write was making books dictated by them, written by me(at first) and drawn by them.....i still have some of them...

Try if at all possible to save the electronic toys and the computer only as a last result for your child or anyone elses child...this allows them to become lazy and may cause problems in school when there is no computer to help them..

Answer 6

Well each day, you could read to them at night before they go to sleep. As for writing, maybe you two can practice writing words together, and when your 4 y.o. gets used to it, move on to sentences, etc

Answer 7

there are lots of ways.. game systems like leap pad (www.leapfrog.com) .. to books and work books and dvds that you can buy...   try web sites like www.pbskids.org    

or just start with plain old simple childrens books, introduce them to words and the alphabet..