Reading and writing are skills you can build one step at a time. Practice a little each day, and remember: making mistakes is part of learning!
How to learn to read
- Learn letter sounds. Say each letter and listen to its sound. For example, m makes the sound in “moon.”
- Blend sounds together. Say the sounds in cat: /k/ /a/ /t/. Put them together: cat.
- Read short words. Try simple words such as sun, fish, and stop. Look at the letters and say the sounds.
- Read sentences and stories. Point to each word as you read. If you get stuck, sound out the word, look at the pictures, or ask for help.
- Talk about what you read. Ask yourself: Who was in the story? What happened? What was my favorite part?
How to learn to write
- Practice making letters. Write uppercase and lowercase letters carefully. Leave spaces between words.
- Spell words by listening. Stretch a word out slowly and write the sounds you hear. Some words have tricky spellings, so practice them often.
- Write a sentence. Start with a capital letter, put spaces between words, and finish with a period, question mark, or exclamation mark.
- Add details. Instead of “I saw a dog,” try “I saw a small, fluffy dog at the park.”
- Read your writing again. Check that it makes sense, and fix any letters or words you want to improve.
Try it now
Read this sentence: The red bird sings. Then write your own sentence about an animal you like. You could start with: My favorite animal is...
Keep practicing: Read a little, write a little, and celebrate each new word you learn.