Engaging Reluctant Readers

Early Literacy Made Easy: How to Support Pre-Readers from Birth to Preschool (Part 1)

• Ellen Westbrook • Season 1 • Episode 7

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Did you know your child starts developing reading skills long before they open their first book? From birth to preschool, kids are absorbing language, rhythm, and vocabulary—laying the foundation for a lifetime of reading success. But what should you be doing during this stage? And how can you support your child’s learning without pressure or overwhelm?

In this episode of the Engaging Reluctant Readers Podcast, Ellen Westbrook breaks down key early literacy milestones, how to spot potential struggles, and simple, playful ways to help your child fall in love with books from the very beginning.

Whether your child is just starting to babble or beginning to recognize letters, this episode is your parent-friendly guide to making early literacy fun, natural, and effective.

 

What You’ll Learn: 

✔️ Why early literacy is crucial—and starts way before kindergarten
✔️ Key milestones from birth to age 5 (and how to support them!)
✔️ What phonemic awareness is—and why it matters
✔️ Fun, low-pressure ways to build early literacy through play and routines
✔️ How to recognize red flags and what to do if your child needs extra support

 

⏳ Key Episode Highlights:
[00:01:28] Why early literacy matters
[00:03:27] What the science of reading says about phonics and sound awareness
[00:03:58] The power of everyday language exposure
[00:04:28] Literacy milestones from babyhood through preschool
[00:10:27] Boosting literacy through play & storytime
[00:20:25] Signs of early reading struggles
[00:23:01] When to seek extra support and how to trust your gut
[00:24:01] It’s not about speed—it’s about loving the journey
[00:24:31] Preview of Part 2: Elementary reading milestones and support tips

 

📖 Prefer to Read? Full blog post: https://engagingreluctantreaders.com/2025/05/08/early-literacy-for-parents/ 


 📺 Prefer to Watch? YouTube video version: https://youtu.be/jnm5rfyLDVs

 

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[00:00:00] Welcome to the Engaging Reluctant Readers podcast. I'm Ellen Westbrook, your host and Recovering Reluctant Reader. Together, we'll tackle reading roadblocks with personalized strategies and out of the box ideas, all while rediscovering the joy of family reading fun. Ready to transform your child's view of reading from dread to must be read?

[00:00:18] Let's dive into today's episode.

[00:00:25] Just a heads up, I wanted to let you know that each episode comes with a full blog post packed with extra tips and resources, so just check the episode description below for the link. 

[00:00:34] Wanna hear something crazy? Kids actually start building the skills they need for reading long before they even say their first word. It's true. Those early years, birth through preschool really lay the foundation for all their future reading success. And here's the best part, so much of it can happen naturally through everyday moments.

[00:00:49] Snuggling up with a book, singing silly songs, or even pointing out shapes and letters at the store. All of it adds up. But I know as parents it's easy to wonder, am I doing enough? Is my child on track? Don't worry, we're tackling all of that today. We'll talk about why early literacy is so important, key milestones to look for, and super simple ways to help your little one fall in love with books from the start.

[00:01:10] And since more and more schools are shifting to the science of reading approach, I'll be focusing on those milestones, helping you understand how kids learn to read by connecting letters and sounds rather than memorizing or guessing from pictures. Plus, I'll share some key things to watch for and how to work with teachers and other professionals if you need a little extra support.

[00:01:27] Here we go.

[00:01:28] So why does early literacy even matter? The early years really set the stage for reading success, and it's about way more than just recognizing letters. Kids need to learn how to connect letters to sounds and blend them together to read real words. When they do this over and over, those words eventually start to become familiar, and that's how they start recognizing words automatically. Not just because they memorized them, but because their brain has seen the letter patterns enough times to make reading feel effortless. 

[00:01:53] When kids are exposed to books and language early on, it has this ripple effect. It strengthens their vocabulary, improves their grammar, and sharpens their problem-solving skills. And here's the cool part. Literacy isn't just about learning how to read and write. It helps kids learn to connect with emotions, understand different perspectives, and really figure out the world around them. Reading can pique curiosity, fuel creativity, and even build confidence. All things that help them thrive in life. Not just in the classroom. 

[00:02:19] Now, I know this because I've lived it. I started reading with JD when he was just a couple months old, at nap and bedtime every day, and it's been a non-negotiable ever since. Hunter was even luckier. He got the experience of me reading to JD while he was in utero. Honestly, I don't think either of my boys have ever really known a life without books and stories.

[00:02:37] I've also never dumbed down my language when I talk to them. I pretty much skipped the baby talk phase entirely. Since day one, I've spoken to them the way I talk to anyone else. Anytime I used a word they didn't know, I'd take it as a teaching moment, explaining what it meant, giving them examples, and even throwing in similar words to help them connect the dots.

[00:02:54] Now, my husband has always rolled his eyes at this, what he lovingly refers to as my SAT vocabulary. And to be fair, he's not wrong. I often use language that's way more complex. But it's worked. Both my boys have always had vocabularies well beyond their age level, it's surprised more than a few of their teachers over the years. Because of the strong foundation, we were able to move beyond toddler level books much sooner in favor of some more interesting reads. Don't get me wrong, those early books are fun, and they serve an important purpose, but being able to dive into more exciting stories sooner kept storytime a much more enjoyable experience, for all of us. 

[00:03:27] Here's something a lot of people don't realize. Reading isn't something that kids just pick up naturally like walking or talking. It has to be taught, step-by-step. It starts with learning to hear and play around with sounds. Something called phonemic awareness. Now this isn't something that all kids just pick up (snaps) like that on their own. Which is why things like singing, rhyming, and playing with sounds matter so much. 

[00:03:47] After this, it's when they start to learn how letters represent sounds, and eventually they start blending those sounds together to read words. If any of those steps get skipped. That's when reading can really start to feel frustrating for them.

[00:03:58] This is why these early years matter so much. Kids need plenty of chances to hear, see, and play with language so they can start making those connections. And the best part? You don't need fancy tools or expensive programs to do it. So much of it comes from little interactions throughout the day. Reading a bedtime story, pointing out words on a sign, or even singing a song together.

[00:04:18] Early literacy isn't about cramming tons of knowledge into your kids or rushing them to become the perfect readers by preschool. It's about laying the groundwork, little by little, in a way that feels natural and fun. 

[00:04:28] So let's break it down, those key milestones from birth to preschool, and look at how you can keep your kids hitting them while making sure that things stay fun and engaging.

[00:04:36] Even before they can talk, babies are soaking up language like little sponges. From the moment they're born to around their first birthday, they're busy learning about sounds, rhythms, and words just by listening to you and others around them. They're also exploring books in their own way by touching, flipping, and yes, even chewing on them.

[00:04:52] At this stage, babies are tuning into how words and voices sound. You might notice their coos or gurgles, that evolve into what I lovingly call the pterodactyl screech phase. It's noisy and chaotic, but it's how they discover their own voice. Later, this leads to their first word. 

[00:05:06] I was lucky, "Mama" was the first for both my boys. How about your kiddo? 

[00:05:10] Reading to babies isn't just about the story, though. It's about creating those warm, snuggly moments that make them feel safe and connected to you. Bonding builds a foundation not only for language, but for their emotional growth as well.

[00:05:20] Sensory exploration plays a big role at this stage, too. Books with textures and crinkly pages and bold colors help engage little hands and keep their attention. 

[00:05:28] Hunter had this cloth owl book that went everywhere with us. It crinkled when you squeezed it, had soft textured wings, and even flipped from awake owl on the front to sleepy owl on the back. It wasn't just a book; it was his buddy. 

[00:05:40] Another great tool at this stage is baby sign language. Around four or six months we started teaching the boys the signs for things like "bottle," "food," "drink," "more," "all done," "please," "thank you," and of course, "book." it made life so much easier because they could communicate their needs before they were ready to speak. It also helped them connect words to their meaning even earlier. 

[00:06:03] As babies grow into curious toddlers, their relationship with books and language becomes Even more interactive, and a lot more hands on. Between their first and third birthdays, toddlers are starting to understand that words represent the world around them.

[00:06:15] Suddenly they're pointing at objects, repeating words they hear, and scribbling on just about anything. Hopefully that's paper, but let's be real, walls happen too. Those messy scribbles though, they're actually your toddler's first attempt at writing. They're starting to notice letters and familiar shapes.

[00:06:30] In our house, one of the first things the boys recognized was the golden arches at McDonald's. I'm not really sure what that says about my parenting, but hey, they're alive and thriving, so I'm not too worried.

[00:06:39] This is when their vocabulary really begins to explode. They're picking up new words at lightning speed. Even if they're not saying them all out loud just yet, they're filing them away for later. Over time, those single words turn into two- and three-word phrases. before you even know it. 

[00:06:52] When my boys were this age, I turned our baby gate across the entrance to our kitchen into a mini learning zone. I stuck magnets all over it, letters, dinosaurs, you name it. They loved pulling them off and sticking them back on and asking me, "Mommy, what's this one?" It was such a simple way to make learning fun while keeping them entertained. Not to mention it gave me peace while I was cooking dinner. 

[00:07:11] As toddlers grow into preschoolers, those early scribbles and first words start turning into something magical, the building blocks of reading.

[00:07:18] By the time kids are three or four, they're starting to connect the dots between sounds, letters, and words. This is when they're really getting into rhyming, they begin recognizing letters everywhere and start understanding how books work. 

[00:07:29] One of the biggest milestones at this age is realizing that letters represent sounds, but it doesn't happen all at once. At first, they might just know that "B" makes a /b/ sound because they've heard it so many times. Over time, they start connecting those sounds to words, like realizing that ""b"" in "ball" is the same sound they hear in "bat" and "bus". These small connections build the foundation for reading later on, and they come from hearing words spoken, playing with sounds, and seeing letters in action.

[00:07:55] Rhyming also becomes a big part of their world here. Playing with words like "cat" and "hat" helps them pick up on sound patterns, which is a key pre reading skill. 

[00:08:04] JD loved playing I Spy with rhyming words. We'd be in the car or at the park and I'd say, "I spy something that rhymes with ' bee'" for "tree" or "run" for "sun". Sometimes I'd even throw in nonsense words like "neef" for "leaf", just to see if he'd catch on. It was never a formal lesson, just a fun way to pass the time while training his ear to hear how words work. You can do the same thing with your little one. 

[00:08:27] As their awareness of letter sounds grows, so does their understanding of books. They start to see that words on the page tell a story. Not just the pictures. That pages turn from left to right, and that every book has a title, cover, and spine. 

[00:08:39] At this stage, their vocabulary really takes off. Short phrases turn into full sentences. They might even start "reading" books to you. Sometimes from memory. Sometimes by making up their own version of the story based on the pictures. 

[00:08:52] I remember the first time each of my boys started joining in without prompting, It started with their favorite books, the ones we'd easily read a hundred times. Then one day I caught them flipping through the same books on their own, "reading" to themselves. It was all from memory, of course, but still so exciting. Do you remember the first time your kiddo did this? 

[00:09:10] By the time they turn five and head into kindergarten, all these early literacy skills really start coming together. They move beyond just recognizing letters and sounds and begin putting them together to blend words, read simple sentences, and start understanding the meaning behind what they're reading.

[00:09:24] Once kids start kindergarten, all those early building blocks start clicking into place and they take their first real steps into reading. This is an exciting stage, but it can also be when challenges pop up if something hasn't fully clicked yet. As they continue on their journey through elementary school, it's not just about reading the words, it's about understanding them, how they fit together to tell a story.

[00:09:44] They're also learning to stick with longer stories and pick up where they left off. Apps like Teach Your Monster to Read can be really helpful as kids transition from preschool into the early elementary years. JD loved it, and we're just getting Hunter started. It begins with the basics and grows with them, helping them read full sentences and eventually, short books. 

[00:10:02] It's a great way to practice important skills like phonics, which is understanding the connection between sounds and letters, phonemic awareness, the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate sounds in a word, and decoding, putting the sounds together to read a word aloud. It's like learning in disguise because it feels like a game.

[00:10:19] In the next episode, we'll dive deeper into this stage, how to keep those reading skills growing, spot challenges early, and help your child thrive as they move through elementary school. 

[00:10:27] Now that we've talked about the milestones, let's get into the fun part. How to actually support your child's early literacy in ways that feel natural, playful, and stress free. You see, learning to read isn't just about books. It starts with sounds, movements, and interactions long before kids ever sit down with a story. 

[00:10:42] So how can you weave literacy into everyday life? The trick is to use play in addition to story time to build the skills at each stage.   

[00:10:50] As I mentioned, even before they can talk, babies are tuning into the world around them and picking up on voices, the natural rhythm that we speak with, and getting familiar with sounds. From birth to their first birthday, literacy isn't about letters or words, it's about engaging their senses and making books a familiar part of their day.

[00:11:05] That's why books with crinkly pages, different textures, or high contrast images are perfect at this stage. Remember Hunter's Owl book that I mentioned? It wasn't just a book, it was a comfort item, a toy, and an early introduction to reading all in one.

[00:11:18] And speaking of early interactions, singing and rhymes are some of the best ways to boost language skills at this stage. Babies love repetition, and songs help them hear the natural rhythm of speech. 

[00:11:27] JD was obsessed with "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", and Hunter always giggled when we sang "Rock-a-Bye Baby". Even now, at nine and five and a half years old, they still ask me to sing their favorite every night. It's a small tradition that's evolved over time, including changing the endings and adding some movement, but it all started when they were tiny. 

[00:11:45] Another fun way to introduce books is through Peek-a-Boo. Instead of just covering your face, try using a stuffed animal or even a book. You can open to a page with a picture of a bear and say, "Where's the bear?" "There's the bear." Simple, playful interactions like this help babies connect words to images while making books feel fun. 

[00:12:01] Lastly, alphabet puzzles or toys are a great way to introduce letter shapes. And you can start casually introducing letter sounds while you play together. Just remember, the focus here is on exploration, not mastery. They're still little, and for most of this stage, they aren't even talking yet. 

[00:12:16] I remember how much both the boys loved these foam letter blocks covered in cloth with pictures of things that began with that letter. I'd hold up the block and say, "'O' says /o/, like octopus." We'd stack them up and they'd just knock them down. They even had pieces that would pop out in the middle that had different textures and some that had beads or sticks inside so they made sound for extrasensory fun. 

[00:12:34] They're never too young to begin fostering a love of reading. During this stage, you want to hold them close when you read to them and really focus on this time as a bonding experience while you enjoy a short story together. 

[00:12:43] Now remember, their attention span is short at this age, so you want simple books with vibrant pictures and very few words. Now I know these books aren't the most interesting for us to read as adults, but you want to keep the tone upbeat, keep them excited about the experience.

[00:12:56] Pairing reading with their routines can be a great way to give them something to look forward to. As I mentioned, we began reading to JD before naps and bedtime, and he came to rely on that experience as a place to find comfort, and an integral part of his sleepy time routine. He would struggle to fall asleep without it. Don't underestimate the power of routines and predictability. Children literally thrive on it, 

[00:13:16] And when I say that reading became a key piece of JD's wind down ritual, I'm not kidding. Sleep didn't come naturally for JD. In fact, he spent the first five months of his life exclusively sleeping on us. He hated his crib. I began the routine of reading to him before trying to coax him to sleep when he was about two months old. Over the next few months, we discovered he had some fast favorites. That definitely helped me make the transition from our arms to the crib a success.

[00:13:39] One of his favorites was "Snuggle Up Sleepy Ones" by Claire Friedman. If you still have a young one at home, I strongly recommend it. I think we ended up reading that book every nap and night for the next two years straight. It's no wonder by the time we passed the story along to Hunter we were already on our third copy. It was a bit heartbreaking when it didn't become a front runner for him, but it just goes to show you every kid is different, and they aren't shy about sharing their preferences. Even at a young age. 

[00:14:03] As babies grow into curious toddlers, their world starts expanding and so does the way they engage with language. They're no longer just listening; they're jumping in and exploring words in a whole new way. 

[00:14:12] At this stage, toddlers, so I'm talking about those kids ages 1 and 2, they're starting to recognize that words have meaning. They'll point to things, name familiar objects, and start stringing words together in phrases. This is a prime time to introduce literacy-rich play that makes learning feel effortless. 

[00:14:27] One of my favorite ways to do this is through word building toys. Chunky letter puzzles or magnetic letters are a great way to introduce letter shapes and sounds.

[00:14:35] As I mentioned earlier, our baby gate was a place for them to engage with letters and objects while I was cooking. You can also throw magnets up on the fridge or even a cookie sheet if you'd rather set them up with their own little play space. Talk about the sound each letter makes and give them examples.

[00:14:47] You could say the letter "D" says /d/ just be sure to keep the sound short so you're not adding extra sounds like "d-uh" instead of /d/. Hear the difference? 

[00:14:56] As they grow you can begin showing them simple words they're seeing in the books they read like "cat" or "dog". You can push or tap each letter as you say the sound associated with it like and then putting it all together again as "cat" This will help them make the connection with each that each letter has its own sound.

[00:15:12] You're really just modeling this for them at this age but it's great to bring awareness to this for them before they begin playing with these sounds and letter combinations themselves. 

[00:15:20] Of course, movement-based learning is huge at this age. Action songs like "The Wheels on the Bus,", "Itsy Bitsy Spider," or "This Little Piggy" help toddlers associate words with actions, which boosts language retention. And if your kid's obsessed with trucks, dinosaurs, or animals, Lean into that. Read a book about trucks and play with toy trucks.

[00:15:36] Read about dinosaurs and stomp around pretending to be one. When you connect books with their favorite things, reading just becomes part of the fun. It's not some separate learning activity, it's just what they do. 

[00:15:46] The more interactive the book, the easier it will be to keep their interest. Look for interactive elements like flaps, tabs you can pull, and even pop-up books. I just wouldn't leave these out for their solo exploration time unless you want to find yourself with a mess and a broken heart the next time you read. A flap that doesn't flap, a missing tab, a pop up that no longer pops, is no longer engaging.

[00:16:05] This can be a great opportunity though to teach them that we treat books with respect and "gentle hands" or "gentle touch" so they can be enjoyed longer. 

[00:16:13] Now this doesn't mean we can't let our kiddos touch books at all at this age. Those books with crinkly pages, the indestructible books with thicker paper pages and board books are great for teaching them how to turn pages. Don't worry if they skip ahead. You can use this to continue developing those fine motor skills.

[00:16:28] Another thing. Don't overlook the opportunities to make the stories come alive for them. Use a different voice for different characters. Use exaggerated expressions and follow their lead. If they point to something, name it, or expand on it. For example, they point to, let's say, a dog as you're reading. You can say something like, "Yes, that is a dog. The dog says, "woof." Or you can even ask them, " What's the dog say?"

[00:16:50] Now we're getting into the pre-reading stage. Ages 3 and 4. This is when kids start recognizing letters, playing with sounds, and figuring out how books work. They're learning that words tell a story. Pages turn a certain way. And they're really getting familiar with the different parts of the book, like the cover, spine, and where to find the title.

[00:17:05] One of the best ways to support this stage is through rhyming games. Rhyming helps kids hear sound patterns, which is a key pre-reading skill. 

[00:17:11] Remember I mentioned I used to play I Spy with JD but used rhyming words instead of colors? That's just one way you can play with rhyming. You can also make a game out of just creating words that rhyme by changing their first letter or sound.

[00:17:22] You can tell them, "Say cat", and they repeat the word. Now let's change the /c/ to a /m/. What word does that make? Mat, that's right. Now what happens if we change the /m/ to /l/? "lat", that's right." It's okay to have fun and play around with nonsense words, too. It's a great way to ensure they're focusing on the sounds, not just the words they've seen before.

[00:17:43] As they continue to grow, they'll encounter words they've never seen before, and this will set them up for success when it comes time to figure out how to " decode," or in other words, read those words. 

[00:17:53] This is also a great time to introduce more structured literacy toys like wooden puzzles with words under each piece. Farm animal puzzles with words like "cow" and "pig" are perfect because kids get to match the piece, see the word, and say it out loud all at the same time. 

[00:18:06] For storytime, this is the age to start pointing out the title when you read and using your finger to track the words as you read them aloud. This is how they learn that we read left to right. My favorite? Asking open ended questions to get them thinking before opening the book. I'd say, "This story's called 'The Very Busy Spider,' What do you think it's about?" Then as we read, I'd pause and ask, "What do you think will happen next?" These little moments encourage them to start making predictions and connections. 

[00:18:30] At this age they also love " reading" their favorite books back to you, either by retelling the story in their own words or reciting parts they've memorized.

[00:18:37] Don't correct them, just go with it. This kind of pretend reading is actually a big step toward real reading. You'll also find this tends to happen with books with a lot of repetition where only one or two words change on each page. Now I wouldn't necessarily get stuck in these books because they'll start to rely on that repetition rather than actually reading. But these are probably the ones that you'll notice start to have a sing-songy feel like "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" or "Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?" Which is actually one of Hunter's favorites, not to mention the first one he "read" to us. 

[00:19:07] By the time they turn five, all these skills, sounds, letters, rhymes, and storytelling, start turning into actual reading. Once kids hit kindergarten, all those early pre-reading skills, like recognizing letter sounds and picking up on rhyming patterns, start clicking into place.

[00:19:21] This is when they go from just recognizing familiar words to actually reading them. This is when they start blending letter sounds together, using phonics to figure out new words on their own. It's a big shift, and it doesn't happen overnight. But with plenty of practice, and lots of patience, their reading skills will start taking off.

[00:19:37] Now, this stage can be a bit of a roller coaster. Some kids take off right away, while others need more time to really get the hang of it. And that's totally normal. The important thing is keeping their confidence up and making reading something they want to do, not something they have to do. 

[00:19:50] One of my favorite ways to reinforce phonics skills without making it feel like extra work is through fun, low pressure games. The Teach Your Monster to Read app was a huge hit in our house. It turned what could have been frustrating practice into something JD actually asked to play. And even though they're starting to read on their own, story time isn't going anywhere, reading together still matters. Especially with books that are a little above their reading level. This is where their comprehension really starts to grow and you get to have deeper conversations about the stories, ask fun questions, and help them make connections beyond just sounding out the words. 

[00:20:19] I'll share more strategies, tools, and ways to make reading fun for your early elementary aged kiddo. in the next episode. 

[00:20:25] So exciting as it is to watch our kids grow into little readers, sometimes things don't click as easily as we expect. Maybe your child isn't showing much interest in books, or they're struggling with language more than their peers. And while every kid develops at their own pace, there are some early signs that might mean they need a little extra support. 

[00:20:41] The earlier we notice these challenges, the easier it is to help them work through them before reading starts to feel frustrating.

[00:20:48] So what should you be looking for? If your child isn't showing much interest in books, has trouble recognizing letters by preschool, or struggles to sit and listen to short stories, these might be signs that they need a little boost. 

[00:20:58] Now again, every kid develops at their own pace. But if something feels off, trust your gut. It never hurts to keep an eye on things and step in early if needed 

[00:21:07] Do they have limited interest in books? If your child just doesn't seem interested, like they'd rather do anything else, take a step back and see if it's the books themselves or if there's something else going on. Some kids need different formats, like interactive books, books about their favorite things, or even audiobooks. If reading always feels like a sit still and be quiet activity, they might just need a more hands on approach.

[00:21:26] Try this. If your child isn't engaging with books, switch things up. Let them pick out books on topics they love. Explore books with flaps and textures. Or even act out the story with toys. Reading should feel fun, not like a chore. 

[00:21:38] Are they struggling to connect letters to sounds? By preschool, most kids start recognizing at least a few letters, especially the ones in their name. Instead of just memorizing them, they start connecting them to sounds, like realizing "mom" starts with an "M", because they've heard it so many times.

[00:21:51] If your child isn't picking up on letters at all, struggles to remember them from day to day, or can't tell the difference between letters that look similar, like "b" and "d", it could mean they need more exposure, or a different way of learning to help things click. 

[00:22:03] Try this. Make learning letters a game. Instead of just naming them, tie them to their sounds, tape big letters around the house, and turn it into a scavenger hunt. "Can you find the letter T? 'T' says /t/. like Tiger." Another fun way to practice is with a sensory approach. Have them use a paintbrush and water to paint letters on the sidewalk outside or let them trace letters on a tray of rice while saying the sound out loud. Taking learning off the page and into play can make all the difference. 

[00:22:28] Are they struggling to make it through story time acting as if they got ants in their pants? Some wiggles are totally normal, but if your child can't focus on an engaging story, even one that's interactive, it could be a sign that following a narrative or understanding spoken language is tricky for them. It might also be a sign of attention challenges that could impact their ability to learn to read later on. 

[00:22:45] Try this, start small. Read in short bursts, slowly building to longer periods over time. Pick books with repetition and rhyme or let them move around while you read. Some kids actually focus better when they're engaged in another simple activity, like coloring, or building with blocks, while listening to a story, and that's okay.

[00:23:01] What to do if you're concerned. If something doesn't seem quite right, start by making small adjustments at home. See if that helps. But if you're still worried, don't hesitate to reach out to your child's preschool teacher, pediatrician, a literacy specialist, or even a psychologist. They can help you figure out whether what you're seeing is typical, or if a little extra support might be helpful.

[00:23:19] And listen, I know asking for help can feel uncomfortable. I've been through the process with both my boys. Heck, I'm in the thick of it with Hunter right now. And I totally get it. You might second guess yourself or wonder if you're making a big deal out of nothing. But trust your gut. It's always better to ask than to wait and see, especially when it comes to something as important as reading.

[00:23:36] Early intervention isn't about fixing your child. It's about making sure they get the support they need so reading doesn't become stressful or frustrating. The sooner we step in, the sooner we can create positive reading moments instead of struggles.

[00:23:46] This episode was all about spotting those early reading struggles or even avoiding them altogether if you still have a little one at home or on the way. But if your kiddo is already in elementary school and you're realizing you might have missed some of these signs earlier, don't worry that's exactly what we'll cover next time.

[00:24:01] Early literacy isn't about racing to milestones. It's about making books and language a natural, enjoyable part of everyday life. Every bedtime story, every silly rhyme, every time you point out a word on a sign, it all adds up. And the best part? You're already doing so much just by being there, engaging with your child, and making reading feel fun.

[00:24:18] And remember, there's no rush. Every child moves at their own pace, and the goal isn't to get them reading as fast as possible. It's to help them enjoy the journey. So, celebrate those small wins. Keep things fun and focus on making books part of their everyday life.

[00:24:31] Next time we're tackling in the next chapter, what happens once kids start school? How do we keep that love for reading alive? What if things aren't clicking the way we expected? And what can we do if they start falling behind? We'll talk about how to spot potential struggles early, what to do if they've missed a key milestone, and simple ways to support their reading journey at home.

[00:24:48] Because whether your kid is flying through books or facing some bumps in the road, there's always a way to help. So, grab a cup of coffee and join me next week as we figure it out together. 

[00:24:57] Looking for more details? There's a full blog post with extra tips and resources for each episode. You'll find the link for this week's episode in the description.

[00:25:03] Thanks so much for tuning into today's episode. If you're loving the Engaging Reluctant Readers podcast, I'd love it if you could leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts, so these strategies can be shared to take more kiddos from dread to must-be read. 

[00:25:17] Are you ready to spark some reading inspiration?

[00:25:19] Head on over to bit.ly/RBLBundle to get your free Reading Bucket List Bundle. With 164 inspiring ideas, you can give your child the power to choose where, what, and how they embark on their reading adventures and embrace reading on their own terms. No more pulling teeth, just excitement and a genuine love for stories anytime, anywhere.

[00:25:41] By snagging your bundle, you'll stay in the reading groove and never miss out on upcoming episodes. Until next time, this is Ellen Westbrook wishing you, happy reading!