Draw a large arrow on the front board that points from left to right. Tell students to point to the direction that the arrow is facing. All students should be pointing to the right side of the classroom. Explain to them that this is the direction used for reading.
Write a short sentence on the board, such as "The dog said woof." Draw an arrow moving from left to right underneath the length of the sentence. Point to the first word in the sentence. Ask preschoolers where to go next based on following the arrow. Preschoolers should tell you to move to the next word, which is to the right of the first word. Continue pointing to the individual words and asking students for help moving from left to right.
Pass out a worksheet and markers to preschoolers. The worksheet should contain three or four short sentences. Tell the kids to draw arrows underneath the sentences to show what direction they move in. Review the work to make sure the arrows all point from left to right.
Pass out a children's poetry book to each student. Tell the kids to put their fingers on the first word of the simple poem. Read the word together. Then, tell kids to put their fingers on the second word in the poem. Read that word together, too. Continue this exercise until the poem is complete.
Give preschoolers another worksheet with simple sentences written on it. As a group, ask students to point to the first word in the sentence. Then, ask the kids to point to the last word in the sentence. This exercise strengthens their concept of print directionality.