Reading begins long before the letters

When parents picture early reading, they often imagine a child sounding out words on a page. In reality, the foundations are laid much earlier, through talk, song and the simple pleasure of sharing a book together. A child who has heard thousands of words, joined in with rhymes and turned the pages of favourite stories arrives at school with a sizeable advantage — not because they can already read, but because language feels familiar, playful and safe.

The good news is that none of this requires special training, expensive resources or a formal lesson. It happens in kitchens, on buses, at bathtime and in those spare five minutes before tea. What matters is regularity and warmth, not perfection.

Talk, talk and more talk

Children's vocabulary grows fastest through conversation, so treat everyday moments as opportunities. Narrate what you are doing while you cook, describing the onions softening or the sauce thickening. Ask open questions that need more than a yes or no: "What do you think will happen next?" or "Why do you think she's cross?"

Pause often. Young children need several seconds to process a question and shape an answer, and filling that silence too quickly teaches them that their contribution is not needed. If your child says "gotted" or "foots", repeat it back correctly and warmly — "yes, you got it" — rather than correcting sharply. They will absorb the right version naturally.

• Sing nursery rhymes in the car, in the bath, while you tidy up.
• Play word games: "something you can eat that begins with s…".
• Describe what you notice on the walk to nursery — colours, sounds, weather.
• Let your child tell you a story, and write it down exactly as they say it.

Make books easy to reach

Books compete with screens, so make them the easier choice. A low basket in the living room, a few in the buggy, a small pile beside the bed, and a waterproof one in the bath all help. Rotate the collection every few weeks so old favourites feel new again, and let your child choose at the library or charity shop.

Board books survive enthusiastic handling, and wordless picture books are a gift for early language — you and your child invent the story together, which builds narrative skills and confidence without any pressure to decode text.

It also helps enormously if your child sees you reading. A few minutes with a magazine or novel while they look at their own book signals that reading is something people do for pleasure, not just something done to them.

Sharing a book well

Reading aloud is a skill, and a few small adjustments make a big difference.

• Follow their lead. If they want the same book for the twentieth time, that is not a problem — repetition builds memory for story patterns and sounds.
• Point as you go. Run a finger under the title or a repeated phrase so they connect spoken words with print.
• Pause and wonder. "Oh dear, where's the bear gone?" invites prediction and talk.
• Use funny voices. Exaggeration keeps attention and teaches expression and rhythm.
• Stop when interest fades. Two happy minutes beat ten minutes of wriggling, and ending on a good note keeps books associated with pleasure.

Try to keep a daily slot, even if it is only the bedtime story. Predictability is calming, and a routine makes reading the thing children ask for rather than resist.

Rhyme, rhythm and wordplay

Rhyming is one of the strongest predictors of later reading success, because it trains the ear to hear the separate sounds inside words. Nursery rhymes, silly songs and poems all do this work invisibly. Sing "Humpty Dumpty" and you are teaching rhythm and rhyme; clap the syllables in "el-e-phant" and you are building phonological awareness.

Play with sounds, too. "Silly Sally sits on a seaside sofa" is funny to a four-year-old and quietly teaches alliteration. Make up nonsense words, choose the rhyming word in a story, and let your child finish the line in a book they know by heart. All of this is preparation for phonics at school, and it feels like a game.

Keep the pressure off

There is a real difference between encouraging reading and drilling it. Flashcards before a child is ready, or pushing them to read words they find hard, tends to produce anxiety rather than fluency. If your child is not yet interested, keep the focus on talk, rhymes and stories and try again in a few weeks.

If you have concerns about speech, hearing or how your child is getting on, speak to your health visitor, nursery staff or school — early support is usually simple and effective. Otherwise, trust the process. A child who is read to, talked with and sung to every day is quietly building everything they will need. The letters will come, and when they do, they will arrive into a world where words already feel like home.