As parents, we all want to give our children the best start in reading and learning. While teaching them letters and sounds is important, there’s another key ingredient to early literacy that often goes unnoticed: prior knowledge—the background information and experiences a child has before they even open a book.
Prior knowledge helps children understand what they read, make connections, and build vocabulary. The great news? You don’t need expensive programs or fancy materials to strengthen your child’s prior knowledge. Many free, everyday experiences can help lay the foundation for strong literacy skills!
Think about a time when you read something on an unfamiliar topic—maybe an article filled with technical jargon or a book about a subject you knew little about. It probably felt confusing and hard to follow. That’s what it’s like for kids when they read about things they haven’t experienced.
Children with real-world knowledge can make sense of what they read. For example, if a child has played in the snow, they’ll better understand a book about winter. If they’ve visited a farm, they’ll have an easier time imagining a story about animals. These connections make reading meaningful and enjoyable!
You don’t have to spend money to help your child gain the experiences that support literacy. Here are some free and easy activities that build prior knowledge:
Take a walk in a park or around your neighborhood. Point out trees, flowers, birds, and bugs. Talk about the seasons, the weather, and what you see. Later, when your child reads about nature, they’ll have personal experiences to draw from.
Libraries are treasure troves of learning! Attend storytime, check out books on different topics, and let your child explore toys and activities at the library.
Even simple cooking activities, like making a sandwich or stirring pancake batter, teach sequencing and following instructions—key skills for reading comprehension. Plus, cooking introduces new words like “mix,” “measure,” and “pour.”
Turn a regular shopping trip into a learning adventure. Ask your child to find a red fruit or point to the biggest vegetable. Reading labels, recognizing colors, and identifying items help with vocabulary and comprehension.
Attend free local events, parades, or farmers’ markets. Exposure to different people, music, and activities helps children understand the world around them, which makes reading about different places and cultures easier.
Climbing, sliding, and swinging help children learn about movement, balance, and problem-solving. These experiences help when reading books about physical activities or emotions like bravery and excitement.
Show your child old pictures and talk about family members, past events, and traditions. This strengthens memory, sequencing skills, and storytelling abilities—all of which help with reading.
Watch the clouds, look at the stars, or talk about rain and sunshine. Later, when your child reads about the weather, they’ll have personal experiences to help them understand the topic.
Nursery rhymes, songs, and clapping games help children hear patterns in words, improving their ability to recognize sounds when learning to read.
Playing “restaurant,” “teacher,” or “doctor” lets kids use their imagination and practice new words. When they read about these topics later, they’ll already have a foundation to understand the story.
Reading is more than just sounding out words—it’s about understanding what those words mean. The more experiences your child has, the easier reading comprehension becomes. By giving them real-world knowledge through free, everyday activities, you’re setting them up for success in reading and beyond.
So, next time you take a walk, cook a meal, or visit the library, remember—you’re not just having fun; you’re building your child’s literacy skills in a powerful way!