{"id":690,"date":"2025-11-20T09:42:31","date_gmt":"2025-11-20T02:42:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/?p=690"},"modified":"2025-11-20T09:42:52","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T02:42:52","slug":"stimulating-6-skills-to-help-children-get-ready-to-read-and-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/2025\/11\/20\/stimulating-6-skills-to-help-children-get-ready-to-read-and-write\/","title":{"rendered":"Stimulating 6 Skills to Help Children Get Ready to Read and Write"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Being able to read and write is a major milestone in a child\u2019s development. However, these skills don\u2019t appear overnight. Before children can actually read words or write sentences, they need to develop a range of foundational skills<\/strong> that should be stimulated from an early age. Experts call these emergent literacy skills<\/em>\u2014the early abilities that form the foundation for formal reading and writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Literacy doesn\u2019t simply mean \u201cbeing able to read books.\u201d More than that, literacy is the ability to understand, manage, and use information in daily life<\/strong>. A literate child is not only able to recognize letters but can also understand the meaning behind what they read, connect it to real-life experiences, and use it to think and communicate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From an early age, parents and educators can nurture children\u2019s literacy through six main skills:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Vocabulary<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first essential skill is vocabulary<\/strong>, or a child\u2019s ability to recognize and understand many words. The richer a child\u2019s vocabulary, the easier it is for them to comprehend texts and express ideas in writing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents can start by connecting words with real objects or experiences<\/strong>. For example, when a child gets a drink, say: \u201cYou\u2019re taking a glass for drinking water. The water is cold and refreshing.\u201d This helps the child understand that words like glass<\/em>, water<\/em>, and cold<\/em> refer to real objects or sensations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyday activities are great opportunities to enrich vocabulary\u2014during bath time, meals, walks, or play. Use simple, clear, and varied sentences so children become familiar with many words in different contexts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stimulation tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • Talk to your child about their daily activities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Read storybooks aloud and discuss the pictures and new words.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Use expressive voices and intonation when storytelling to keep them engaged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. Print Motivation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Children who enjoy reading activities learn more easily. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to nurture reading motivation<\/strong> early on. The key principle: make reading fun, not forced<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Let children choose books they like, even if they\u2019re simple or mostly pictures. Make reading a joyful and bonding activity, not a duty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    One of the most effective ways to build reading motivation is through bedtime stories<\/strong>. Besides strengthening emotional connections, this habit introduces books and stories as a natural, enjoyable part of daily life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Stimulation tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • Read expressively and ask simple questions like, \u201cWhat do you think will happen next?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Don\u2019t focus too much on recognizing letters\u2014focus on the joy of the story.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Use colorful picture books and change themes every few days.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Make reading part of the routine, such as every night or afternoon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

       <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. Print Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      This skill helps children understand that print carries meaning<\/strong>\u2014that the symbols on a page aren\u2019t just pictures, but represent words and ideas. Children begin to grasp that text in Indonesian, for example, is read from left to right, top to bottom, and that letters form meaningful words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Children can develop print awareness<\/em> through simple activities such as pointing to words while reading together, recognizing letters on signs, food packages, or household labels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Stimulation tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      • Point to words in a book while reading aloud.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Ask your child to find certain letters on signs or labels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Introduce the concepts of the book\u2019s cover, title, and story order.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

         <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        4. Phonological Awareness<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Phonological awareness refers to the child\u2019s ability to recognize and play with sounds in language<\/strong>, such as distinguishing letter sounds or mimicking rhythm patterns in words. This is an essential step before learning to read because it helps children understand that words are made up of small sound units called phonemes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Simple activities like rhyming games, children\u2019s songs, or guessing letter sounds<\/strong> are very effective. For example, play rhyming games like \u201cball\u2013calla,\u201d \u201cleg\u2013bag.\u201d Or play a sound hunt game by asking for words that start with a certain letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Stimulation tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Sing rhyming songs (like \u201cTwinkle, Twinkle\u201d or \u201cOld MacDonald\u201d).<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Play games that involve guessing words starting with the same sound.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Read short poems with catchy rhythm.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Use sound-based games like \u201cWhich sound do you hear at the start of \u2018mama\u2019?\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          5. Letter Knowledge<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

          After recognizing sounds, the next step is learning letter shapes<\/strong> and understanding that each letter represents a specific sound. Children also need to know that letter combinations form meaningful words.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          At the early stage, don\u2019t rush to teach all letters at once. Focus on 1\u20133 letters per session<\/strong> so children don\u2019t feel overwhelmed or bored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Stimulation tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Use engaging materials like letter blocks, cards, or fridge magnets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Introduce the letters in the child\u2019s name first.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Connect letters to real objects, e.g., \u201cA for apple,\u201d \u201cB for ball.\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Let children trace letters with their fingers to strengthen visual and motor memory.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

             <\/p>\n\n\n\n

            6. Narrative Skills<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

            The final but equally important skill is narrative ability<\/strong>\u2014the capacity to understand event sequences and retell them coherently<\/strong>. This greatly supports future reading comprehension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            You can develop this skill from as early as age 2\u20133 through casual conversations about daily activities. For instance, ask, \u201cWhat did you play first at the park?\u201d or \u201cWhat did you do after eating?\u201d Such questions train logical thinking and help children organize stories in order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            Stimulation tips:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            • Read picture books and ask the child to guess what happens next.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Encourage them to retell the story in their own words.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Use family photos to help them recall and organize events.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            • Teach linking words like then<\/em>, after that<\/em>, next<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

               <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              Preparing children to read and write doesn\u2019t have to wait until primary school. In fact, the preschool years are a golden period<\/strong> to stimulate these six early literacy skills. The most important thing is to make every activity fun, interactive, and age-appropriate<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Children who grow up in a language-rich environment, surrounded by books, and supported emotionally by adults will naturally develop strong literacy skills. So rather than rushing to teach children to spell, it\u2019s far better to focus on building their love for reading and writing<\/strong> from the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              With consistent and nurturing stimulation, children won\u2019t just be ready to read and write\u2014they\u2019ll be ready to think, imagine, and understand the world around them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Being able to read and write is a major milestone in a child\u2019s development. However, these skills don\u2019t appear overnight. Before children can actually read words or write sentences, they need to develop a range of foundational skills that should be stimulated from an early age. Experts call these emergent literacy skills\u2014the early abilities that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[20,21,25,22,23,24],"class_list":["post-690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-en","tag-education","tag-english","tag-english-language","tag-learn","tag-learning","tag-learning-english"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=690"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":691,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/690\/revisions\/691"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/compasspubindonesia.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}