Early Literacy Lessons
Early literacy lessons build the foundations a child needs before formal reading instruction makes sense: knowing that print carries meaning, recognizing letters and the sounds they make, hearing rhyme and syllables, and blending sounds into words. For PreK and kindergarten students, this is the highest-leverage reading work there is.
Who this is for
Young children who are not picking up letters and sounds at the pace of their classmates, who show little interest in books, who struggle with rhyming games, or who have a family history of reading difficulty. Also children already receiving speech services, since speech sound difficulties and early literacy difficulties frequently travel together.
What a lesson looks like
For a four- or five-year-old, this looks like play — because that is what holds attention at that age and because play is where language happens. Underneath it is a deliberate sequence.
- Letter-sound knowledge, taught in a useful order rather than alphabetically
- Rhyming, syllable clapping, and first-sound games
- Blending and segmenting spoken words before print is introduced
- Print awareness — how books work, where words start, what a word is
- Early writing and letter formation
Why this is speech-language work
Reading is built on spoken language. The child who cannot hear that "cat" and "hat" rhyme is going to struggle when those words appear in print, and the connection is a phonological one — exactly what a speech-language pathologist is trained to assess and treat.
Questions about early literacy lessons
Is my four-year-old too young for this?
No. The prereading skills these lessons build are appropriate from about age three or four, and this is the window where the work is easiest and most playful. Nothing here involves drilling a preschooler.
Where do early literacy lessons happen?
In person, either in a partner school or at our Bangor office. For very young children the in-person format matters more, not less — attention and engagement at this age depend on being in the room.
More questions about getting started, payment, and locations
Related services
Speech-Language Therapy
Based on individual needs, speech-language therapy with a licensed speech-language pathologist can target the underlying skills to reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Articulation & Articulation Disorders
Individualized therapy for speech sound production — helping students say sounds clearly and confidently so they can be understood by teachers, friends, and family.
Language
Support for understanding and using language — vocabulary, grammar, following directions, telling stories, and expressing ideas clearly.