Preschool children, at the ages of three and four, should be taught letters and letter sounds. Use teaching tools to introduce letters, such as letter magnets. Begin with the letters of the child's name; connecting letters to something important such as her name creates interest. Point out environmental print, which are words that she sees often such as the name of your grocery store or her favorite cereal. Encourage her to read environmental print and praise her when she identifies a logo correctly. Read daily to your child and be willing to reread her favorite books. Have your child "read" to you by telling what is happening in the pictures.
When your child begins to show an interest in reading independently, begin by teaching him how to sound out words. Start with simple consonant-vowel-consonant patterned words, such as "cat" or "dog." Show your child how these sounds can come together to create a word. Purchase a set of easy reading books for your child. An ideal book for a beginning reader has words he can easily sound out and no more than three words per page. Typically, early reading books will repeat words from page to page and encourage children to use the pictures to decode words. As your child progresses through the easy readers, give him books that may have four to five words per page. When your child is frustrated, don't push him, but rather praise how much he has learned and give him a break for the day.
Develop writing skills by providing opportunities for your child to manipulate a crayon or large pencil. Large pencils are designed for early writers and are easier to hold because of their size. These pencils are available in circular or triangular styles and can be purchased at teacher supply stores. Have your child color in coloring books. Encourage staying within the lines, as this helps develop fine motor control. Playing with modeling dough is another activity that helps to develop fine motor skills by strengthening small finger muscles.
After your child shows readiness for writing, give her various lines to practice tracing. Start with straight lines and move your child to tracing lines that twist, turn and curl. Tracing books are available for purchase or you can make your own pages for your child. Writing her name is the place to start. Paper that has two evenly spaced lines helps your child to form letters correctly. Teach your child to begin writing lowercase letters first, even though capital letters are easier to write. Show you child how to start her letters at the top of the line and go down. Writing lowercase letters and writing from the top to bottom forms good writing habits.