From the moment a child is born into the world they are observing the world around them, things that make absolutely no sense to them are constantly interacting with them. To a child learning the English language is naturally a their second language, their babbles and sounds in their eyes are their first language. Learning to speak English for a child is a difficult task, however, to actually learn how to read and write the language could be 10 times harder for them. Taking into consideration that a child is like a sponge in their young ages, this should be taken for granted and exercised on a daily basis. Helping a child exercise their language skills can be a lot more fun then you think all it takes is a little imagination, a lot of patience and a open mind.

To the right you will find products that came highly recommended from the Board of Education in New York City.

Teaching a preschooler how to associate the letters of the alphabet to every day words is actually quite a amusing task. Children love songs and of course the most popular song amongst preschoolers is the alphabet song. A famous technique used by teachers widely for preschool students is adapting the alphabet song to small daily words and sight words, for example: "Apple.... Apple... Ah Ah Ah, Baby... Baby... Ba Ba Ba". This technique promotes letters sounds, the letters of the alphabet, and peer interaction, using it in a less musical way another approach would be: "A is for Apple, B is for Baby, C is for Carrot...", either way brings the child face to face with the English language in a fun and exciting way.

Picture systems for learning is a widely used technique, this is a wonderful technique cause it helps the child memorize with ease and helps the child associate the words they are learning with the world around them. Picture books geared towards preschoolers is a great way to have a child interact with the words they are learning, picture books for preschoolers should start off very simple with three letter words to four letter words. Simple structured sentences would be ideal for a preschooler learning to read and should consist with sight words used in the classroom (ask the child's teacher for a list of sight words for your child if you are unsure which sight words to start with).

There is also a PECS system that is available, this system is used highly amongst special needs students but there is good reasoning behind this. Like all children special needs students learn through pictures, the teachers of special needs students will often use a PECS system to help the child communicate when the child is non-verbal. However, this goes true for even a neuro-typical child. All children learn their observing therefore, a PECS system is ideal for preschoolers who are just learning and understanding the English language. Making a PECS system at home is fun and a great activity to do with your preschooler, using pictures that were taken while on a trip with your child, or have your preschooler take the pictures with their parent's assistance of objects they are found of is a great way to start. Printing out the pictures and labeling them with bold labels and placing them into a small photo album is a wonderful project to do with your preschooler. Using this home made picture book to exercise their reading skills.

Implementing the skills we have previously went over, allowing a child to take over an activity is a great way to make them feel more comfortable with the idea of learning how to read and write. Children love to tell stories whether they are telling you what happened when they went to their friend's house, or what they did in school that day, allowing them to put their stories into a mini book or poster board is an exciting activity for a child. Preschoolers learn more effectively when they are hands on with the lessons provided, there are easy ways to do this at home with your child click here for an example story book activity to try with your preschooler.