My child can memorize books, but can’t recognize the words in other places! What should I do?
If your child loves story time and can “read” books by using the pictures or memorizing the story, they are already showing important early literacy behaviors even if they cannot recognize those words in other places yet.
Why can’t they read the words in other places?
They have two important things going for them already: interest and desire! They have figured out that stories come from books, and they want to read. They may not have figured out exactly how books work yet. They may not know where you are getting the story from. Is it the pictures? Is it the numbers? Is it those weird shapes? Do not worry though! This is a great place to start!
Print Awareness
One part they may be missing is called print awareness. Print awareness is the understanding that written words carry meaning and the understanding of how books and language work together to create a story.
There are several parts to a book that children will learn while they become readers. Most people who are readers know them without thinking about them.
Kids need to learn them too!
Some parts of print awareness are:
The parts of a book
front and back cover
title page
spine
The symbols in a book
letters
numbers
words
pictures
How a book works
Letters and groups of letters represent the sounds in spoken words
Spaces come between words
Capital letters and punctuation help organize sentences and show readers when to pause, stop, ask a question, or read with expression.
where to start reading
which direction to read
what to do when they get to the end of a line
what to do when they get to the end of a page
Important information about the book
Title
Author
Illustrator
Publisher
So how do you teach those things?
Read, Read, Read!
Keep reading to them!
Do a Book Walk
Before you start reading, talk about the cover and the title. Talk about the author and the illustrator. Talk about what’s on the back of the book.
Count the words
Say a short sentence such as “Max can jump.” Place one counter on the table for each word you say. Then write the sentence and help your child touch each printed word. This helps them understand that spoken sentences and written sentences are made of separate words.
Point to the words as you read!
This helps them develop an understanding of the connection between what they are seeing and the words they are hearing.
Once your child becomes comfortable watching you point, invite them to point while you read. If their finger lands on the wrong word, say the word they are pointing to instead. The sentence may suddenly sound silly! You can laugh together and say, “That didn’t sound right. I think our pointing and reading stopped matching. Let’s go back and try again.” Then slowly model touching one printed word as you say each word. Keep it playful and stop if your child becomes frustrated. This will help them connect the spoken words to the written words and hear how the words make the story.
What’s next?
Your child is on their path to reading! Keep them excited and keep reading to them! Once your child begins to understand how print works, the next step is building awareness of the sounds in spoken words. Children can begin listening for, blending, and separating sounds before they know their letter sounds. To learn more about this important skill, read “My Child Knows Their Letter Sounds—Why Can’t They Read Yet?”
This article explains phonemic awareness—an important skill for children whether or not they already know their letter sounds.
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