Get Ready to Read!
is an early literacy program designed to help parents and early education and child care professionals make sure that young children have the skills that they need to be ready to learn to read. The goal of Get Ready to Read! is to screen 4-year-olds for pre-reading skills before they enter kindergarten and provide skill-strengthening activities to ensure their reading success.
Why is
Get Ready to Read! so important?
Learning to read and write begins years before your child enters school. You are your child's first--and most important--teacher. The time you spend talking to and reading with your child will help him or her get the best possible start and be ready to learn to read.
Children who enter kindergarten with strong pre-reading skills are more likely to become strong readers and do better in school. Those who do not have these skills are likely to fall behind. Children who have trouble with reading often have difficulties in other areas. As your child goes through school, success will depend on your child's ability to read well.
Why did the National Center for Learning Disabilities develop
Get Ready to Read!?
The National Center for Learning Disabilities wants to help make sure that all young children have the experiences and skills that will help them to become good readers. This is especially important because the majority of school-age children with learning disabilities have problems reading.
What are the fundamental skills necessary for learning to read?
More than 20 years of research has shown that there are certain kinds of skills that are especially important for your child to be ready to learn to read. These skills include:
Print knowledge - a child's understanding of books, printed letters, and words
Emergent writing - a child's first efforts to create and use print in a meaningful way
Linguistic awareness - a child's understanding of how words and language work
How does the Get Ready to Read! program work?
The
Get Ready to Read! program consists of a research-based screening tool, Web site, skill-building activity cards, and many other useful resources.
The center of the program is the screening tool, a 20-item series of questions designed to show where a child is on the path to developing pre-reading skills. This quick, easy-to-use tool was developed by some of the country's top reading researchers. Using the screening tool booklet or
online version, you ask your child questions. Your child responds by pointing to one of four pictures showing possible answers. The child's total score is a snapshot of the extent to which he or she has mastered the skills in three core areas of early literacy.
The fun skill-building activities that are part of the Get Ready to Read! program allow parents and early education and child care professionals to help children further develop and strengthen their pre-reading skills. The activities for parents and educators are available as easy-to-print cards on our Web site, www.getreadytoread.org . There are additional activities in the Get Ready to Read! manual.
How often should I use the Get Ready to Read! screening tool with my child?
It is best to use the Get Ready to Read! screening tool twice with your 4-year-old during the year before kindergarten--once at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year. Even If you can only use it once, you will still get useful information about your child's early literacy skills. Make sure that there are at least several months between each screening.
What else can I do?
- Talk with your child's teachers and caregivers about including early literacy screening and activities in their programs on a regular basis.
- Make sure that you take part in discussions about your child's literacy development. Ask your child's teachers and caregivers what you can do to help your child.
- Find ways to make early literacy activities part of your daily life, such as when you go shopping or take a walk.
How can I obtain the Get Ready to Read! screening tool and activities?
There are two ways to get the Get Ready to Read! screening tool and skill-building activities:
- Online through the Get Ready to Read! Web site, at www.GetReadytoRead.org .
- In print by calling Pearson Early Learning toll-free at 800-552-2259 or on the Web at www.PearsonEarlyLearning.com
