Infant Reading

Literacy is a learned skill, not a biological awakening. We need coherent, skill-based instruction to ensure pre-K kids enter kindergarten with necessary language, cognitive, and early reading skills for learning success.

We need age-appropriate development of:

-- Oral language (vocab, expressive language, listening comprehension)
-- Phonological awareness (rhyming, blending, segmenting)
-- Print awareness
-- Alphabetic knowledge

The infant brain is wired to seek out and learn language.  Infants are born with the capacity to learn all languages.  Example, Japanese babies at 6 months can hear a distinction between “r” and “l” although only the “r” sound exists in Japanese.  They cannot hear this distinction at 12 months!

Between 6-12 months babies begin to fine-tune their ability to perceive the speech sounds of their native language as opposed to non-native language.

Synapses form rapidly in early development. Connector density is at peak in the first three years – then starts pruning.  For very specific aspects of brain development, such as visual system, critical periods exist and thus a window of opportunity.

The best way to help an infant learn to read in the future is by providing a language-rich environment, including talking, singing, listening to music and reading to them.  Research has shown that children who hear more “live” language, are spoken to often and encouraged to communicate – are more proficient with language than children with more limited language exposure.

The Pinecone Learning Reading program begins with early letters, phonological awareness, and simple reading comprehension for children as young as three.  By the time these kids reach Kindergarten, they are generally reading (and comprehending) at 1st to 2nd grade levels.