Read books regularly with your preschool boy. Picture books for preschoolers cover a range of topics that appeal to boys including animals, pirates, monsters, trains and of course Cars and Trucks and Things That Go, as illustrated in Richard Scarry's book of the same name or in other picture books. Choose books on topics he enjoys with large print and simple words, such as Freight Train by Donald Crews, Where's Spot? by Eric Hill and If The Dinosaurs Came Back by Bernard Most. Read books with repetitive prose and read them over and over. Ask your son's preschool teacher or a children's librarian for current popular books among preschool boys.
Teach letter recognition by pointing out letters on street signs and billboards. Teach your son the alphabet song and read alphabet books, such as Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, Curious George Learns the Alphabet or ABC T-Rex. Look in the picture book section of your local bookstore or library for alphabet, color and counting books. Bring your son along to choose ones that interest him. Have him play games, including preschool apps for smart phones or the Starfall website, for practice recognizing and tracing letters.
Engage in simple conversation with your preschool boy to help him develop important pre-reading skills. Ask him about things he sees around the house or while driving in the car. Repeat things back to him and engage in rhyming and word play as often as possible. Make up your own lyrics to preschool songs like The Wheels on the Bus or Twinkle Twinkle Little Star that relate to things he enjoys doing or tasks you have to do next.
Allow him to choose his own reading material sometimes. Offer several options that you have selected and let him choose between them. Give him time to practice looking at books, magazines, comic books or e-readers by himself. Model reading for him and set aside time for the whole family to read. While Mom and Dad read their books or newspapers your preschool son should also have his own reading material.