Oral language skills help children learn to read. They acquire these skills by listening to spoken word and participating in conversations. Three-year-olds generally speak clearly enough to be understood by family members. They have well-developed vocabularies and speak in two to five word sentences. Three-year-olds are able to understand two-step directions such as, "Pick up your toy and put it on the shelf."
Three-year-old children may begin to identify letters. They often recognize letters that have personal significance first, such as the letters in their names. They may not distinguish between upper- and lower-case letters at this age. Some 3-year olds are ready to learn the sounds letters make, which is essential information when learning to read. They may begin to experiment with writing, which can take the form of symbols they have created to represent letters and words. Other 3-year olds can print letters with some accuracy.
Most 3-year-olds have learned concepts about print, which is information about how letters and words work and how books function. Many 3-year-olds are able to identify the cover of a book and which way to hold it and understand that books have titles and authors. Through being read to, 3-year-olds are learning that we read left to right and top to bottom. They are beginning to notice the differences between letters, words and sentences and recognize that print carries meaning. Some 3-year-olds can demonstrate one-to-one correspondence, which is the ability to point to individual words as they are read. They may be able to identify punctuation such as periods and question marks.
Reading involves more than just decoding words. Children need to demonstrate an understanding of the texts they read. Three-year-olds are developing the ability to retell simple stories that have been read aloud. They may be able to identify the beginning, middle and end of stories. Their comprehension skills are also demonstrated by their ability to sequence events they have experienced such as what happened at a birthday party or how they helped mom make cookies. Some 3-year-old children can also make predictions about what will happen next in a story.