How to use Tessy & Tab with a 5 year old
At five years old, your child is beginning to read words. Try not to push too fast at this stage: FUN remains the leading factor for instilling a love of reading. Tessy & Tab stories explore exciting situations and are quick reads — that’s fun!
The Six Skills of Early Literacy at 5+ years old |
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Print Motivation Your child may prefer Tessy & Tab stories over more advanced books because of his ability to read them on his own. This builds confidence. |
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Print Awareness Try a reverse-reading game: pick an object on the page and see if he can find the matching word. |
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Vocabulary Move beyond objects to discuss feelings and consequences. Tessy & Tab stories are designed to facilitate these discussions. |
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Narrative Skills If your child has a younger sibling, now is the right time to suggest that she read Tessy & Tab to her little brother or sister. |
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Letter Knowledge Once your child has found the words on the Find page, write them for her on paper. She may want to write the word too. |
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Phonological Awareness Introduce the concept of syllables. Start with simple words like Tessy and Tab or their own name. Move on to more challenging words when they are ready. |
| * Based on the expertise of our educational advisors and work published by The American Library Association, PBS.org, The National Institute for Literacy, The Early Literacy Initiative, and the US Department of Education. | |
