Children learn at a remarkable pace. In fact, every day a child is developing skills and thought patterns in practically every area including mobility, critical thinking, and language. In the younger years, learning through play is an excellent way to encourage children to acquire new skills and broaden their intellect. With the use of television, tablets, and video games so prevalent in our society, learning resources including reading software for kindergarten are excellent tools for helping young learners improve their skills.
Most children follow a typical set of “milestones” when learning to read:
At 18 Months – toddlers can demonstrate familiarity by connecting words with images. Pointing to an apple or cat, for example. At this age, children begin to experiment with verbal communication and use words or even short phrases they have heard. Kids of this age love storytime and will offer a favourite book to be read again and again.
At 2 Years – Children begin to draw lines and circles to imitate words and letters. They possess vocabulary and can answer simple questions. Storytime takes on new life as children join in the “reading” of the story and correct errors or changes made to their favourite stories.
At 3 Years – Kids understand concepts of “same” and “different,” as well as simple prepositions like “on,” “in,” and “under.” They begin to notice letters and love sharing their knowledge. This is the time to bring out those alphabet fridge magnets and let them spend more time with software reading programs for kindergarten.
At 4 Years – Children are developing a finer understanding of reading and language including concepts of rhyme and tense. At this age, they should be speaking in clear, understandable sentences. They can retell stories they have heard or make up new stories themselves.
At 5 Years – this is kindergarten age when young students begin to explore language and reading on a more academic level. They can “sound out” simple words, match letters to the sounds they make, and offer rhyming words. Learning software for kindergarten students is an excellent option to help kids explore language and strengthen their reading skills.
At Essential Skills, our online software for kindergarten is developed by teachers. These evidence-based programs include hundreds of interactive learning activities for students of all ages. With over 70 comprehensive online learning titles to choose from, you are sure to find the perfect solution to fit your needs. Our Readiness Skills program provides the perfect introduction to our reading programs for kindergarten, including Phonemic Awareness, Super Phonics, and Sight Words. These programs provide a solid foundation for early learning success.