Preschoolers are natural language learners. At this age, their brains are primed to soak up new words, sounds, and language patterns as they interact with the world and the people around them.
Early educators can naturally build on these moments by weaving rich, meaningful language experiences into everyday classroom routines and activities. Through reading, talking, singing, and playing, children build key early language and literacy skills that help them become confident, capable learners. Read on for simple ways to foster early vocabulary and reading skills in your preschool classroom.
5 ways to help preschoolers build early literacy skills
Below are five simple, developmentally appropriate ways to help preschoolers build strong early literacy skills.
1. Engage children in read-alouds
Reading books aloud plays a significant role in shaping preschoolers’ language and vocabulary. Long before children read on their own, shared reading—whether one-on-one or in groups—exposes them to new words, models fluency, and boosts comprehension.
When reading with preschoolers, go beyond just saying the words. Add interactive moments, expressive language, and gentle scaffolding to keep children engaged and help new vocabulary stick. Here are a few simple ways to make shared reading part of your classroom routine:
Lead group reading. Spend a few minutes reading a short, age-appropriate book to the group, pausing to discuss pictures, characters, and new vocabulary. As you read, emphasize beginning sounds, rhymes, or repeated words, and invite children to listen for and say those sounds with you. If the text is easy to see, use a hand pointer to track the words and help children connect sounds to print as they follow along.
Have children buddy up. Put children in pairs and let them read a book together. One can “read” the pictures while the other tells the story in their own words. Even if they can’t sound out letters or words, buddy reading lets children practice recognizing letters, tracking words, and building early comprehension skills. Board books and Little Leveled Readers are great resources for preschoolers with emerging vocabulary and reading skills.
Try read-alongs. With read-alongs, children listen to narrated stories while following along with the text. Like read-alouds and buddy reading, these tools help preschoolers develop vocabulary, fluency, and word recognition—while also boosting their reading confidence. To start, try classic Dr. Seuss books like Green Eggs and Ham and Hop on Pop, or sing-along books like The Animal Boogie by Stella Blackstone and If You’re Happy and You Know It!, adapted by Anna McQuinn.
2. Model language-rich conversations
Children learn words and sentence structure through conversations, stories, and everyday talk. By listening and talking with teachers and peers, they build the language skills they’ll later use to decode words and understand text on their own. Below are practical ways to lead rich, meaningful conversations in the preschool classroom:
Circle time: Use circle time as a daily, low-pressure way to model vocabulary skills. You can start by narrating what you’re doing. For instance, “I’m writing the word ‘sunny’ because that describes today’s weather. Sunny starts with the /s/ sound.” Or, during the emotions check-in, ask children open-ended questions to prompt new words or provide context to deepen understanding. You might say, “You said you felt excited this morning. Excited means full of energy and ready to start the day!”
Show-and-tell: Have children bring their favorite object from home to share with the class. As they describe their object—what it is, what it does, and where it came from—they’re practicing expressive language, storytelling, and conversational turn-taking. You can model rich language by prompting the group with questions like “What did Leo bring today?” and by expanding on each child's response. Or have children listen for and play with sounds, syllables, and rhyming words as they speak. For example:
- “Leo brought a ball—/b/ /b/ ball.”
- “Let’s clap our hands to the parts in u-ni-corn.”
- “What else sounds like cat?”
Storytelling with puppets: According to a study in the Child Education Journal, hand puppets offer a simple yet powerful way to boost early language skills—from speaking and listening to vocabulary, literacy, and storytelling. Get creative and switch up your puppets, from kids to animals and even tiny insects.
3. Create a literacy-rich dramatic play center
Don’t underestimate the power of play in building early vocabulary and reading skills. A recent study in Early Education and Development shows that preschoolers from disadvantaged backgrounds—who often start with smaller vocabularies—learned just as many new words through playful learning as through shared reading.
Through pretend play, children naturally pick up new words, practice storytelling, and develop expressive language skills. You can use your classroom’s dramatic play center to reinforce early literacy skills by:
- Using role-play. Add dramatic play materials so children can “play dentist” or “play ice cream shop” and practice functional language they can use in everyday scenarios, not just during play.
- Encouraging storytelling. Through dramatic play, children learn to construct stories, engage in back-and-forth conversation, and practice the skills they’ll use as readers.
- Weave print into play. Include relevant books, signs, labels, posters, and other print materials in dramatic play spaces to reinforce print awareness and letter recognition.
Pretend play gives preschoolers fun and meaningful ways to build the vocabulary and literacy skills they need to grow as readers.
4. Provide literacy games and puzzles
Speaking of play, language and literacy activities are a great way for preschoolers to expand their vocabulary, build critical-thinking skills, and make stronger word connections. They weave together literacy, fun, social interaction, and a touch of friendly competition to keep children engaged and motivated to learn.
Literacy games and puzzles support group and individual learning. Here are a few recommendations that are perfect for preschool classrooms:
For classrooms or large groups:
- Letter or Word Hunt: Invite children to be “detectives” and track down letters or simple sight words around the classroom. As children hunt for them, encourage them to match, decode, and check the letters and words off as they go.
- Alphabet BINGO: Engage up to 20 children in a lively game of Alphabet BINGO! As you call out each letter, children search their boards and place a token on the correct space. When a child calls out “BINGO!”, encourage them to name or decode the letters in their winning row.
For smaller groups or pairs:
- Very Hungry Caterpillar Games: These games, inspired by Eric Carle's beloved book, invite children to make puzzles, find letters, and collect food—all while building early vocabulary and reading skills.
- Match Me: This alphabet game supports up to 8 players and lets children practice their letter-matching skills. With several play options, you can tailor it to different skill levels.
For individual learning:
- Fun-to-Know Puzzles: These two-piece puzzles let children hone their skills at their own pace. They can match letters with their sounds, find rhyming pairs, and identify opposites—then flip the pieces over to check their work.
- First Words Dominoes: Each domino contains a simple word—like dog, car, or egg—and a photographic image. To win this game, children must match the words to the correct picture, expanding their vocabulary along the way.
5. Reinforce early writing skills
Early writing is a key literacy skill that also supports reading and language skills, according to an article in The Reading Teacher. Through activities like scribbling, drawing, and tracing, children learn letter recognition, phonological awareness, print knowledge, and more. Try these simple activities to connect early writing with vocabulary and reading skills:
- Sensory tracing: Call out a letter name or sound aloud and have children use their fingers to trace letters in the sand.
- Copy the word: Write a short word, and let children copy it on paper or a small writing board while saying each letter and sound.
- ABC doodles: Encourage children to draw objects that start with a specific letter while tracing that letter on a drawing board.
- Letter shaping: Press ABC molds into kinetic sand to form letters and name them aloud.
These activities also build the fine-motor skills children need to form letters, write words, and understand text.
Jumpstart preschoolers’ vocabulary and reading skills through engaging, multisensory activities
It’s never too early to nurture children’s language and literacy skills. Preschoolers are curious, eager, and primed to absorb new letter sounds, words, and sentence structures. With the right tools and guidance, educators can turn this natural curiosity into confident early reading skills.
Nemours Children’s Reading BrightStart!Ⓡ is a science-based early literacy program designed to support emerging readers in preschool classrooms. With two curriculum levels, Reading BrightStartⓇ can easily be paired with any comprehensive curriculum to help build a strong reading foundation for both early and struggling learners.
To learn more about Reading BrightStartⓇ and whether it’s the right fit for your classroom, reach out to a Kaplan curriculum expert. We’ll help you find the right solution to support every child’s early reading journey.
