Creating a print-rich environment at home and at school will help your preschooler to develop literacy skills. Words should be everywhere. In a preschool classroom, you often see labels on furniture and commonly used objects. You also see children's names printed throughout the room. This is because a child's name is one of the first words that she learns to recognize. You can create a print-rich environment at home, too, by labeling your child's possessions and pointing out ways that you use words in everyday life, such as writing a grocery list.
Reading aloud is one of the best ways to promote both language and literacy. Set aside a specific time of day to read aloud, and make it special and relaxing. Allow your child to choose a book or introduce a new story, poem or nursery rhyme. Use your voice and expressions to make the text as engaging as possible. Demonstrate using your finger to track the text as you read and point out words or letters that your child might recognize.
Playing games will show your child that language and literacy are both fun and accessible. Play "I Spy" and have her look for specific letters or words. Have your child draw a picture and tell you about it, then write her words underneath the picture so that she can read them. Give your child a pencil or crayon and have her "write" letters to friends and family who live far away.
Try not to stress about whether your child is keeping up with her peers. If she can sing the alphabet song, that is great, but it is not the only way of measuring literacy. Keep talking to your child and reading aloud, and eventually things will click. If you are concerned about your child's progress in preschool, ask her teacher for suggestions or additional activities, but avoid putting too much pressure on your child.