As adults we read all the time; if not books, then emails, information on the internet, road signs, business letters and documentation. Learning how to read is vital for your child's success at school, and printable preschool worksheets can be a big help.

Can you draw?

When your child is first introduced to the letters of the alphabet, those letters are usually related to pictures of items that start with that letter. You will find 'Annie Apple', 'David Dolphin' and similar terms used throughout the world to introduce children to sounds and letters. Unless you're artistic and can draw, printable worksheets may be an easier solution - and generally more affordable than a book.

Letter Recognition

As your child learns sounds, they will also learn to recognize the letters of the alphabet. A great way to teach this is with a printable worksheet that shows the letter, a picture, and the 'name' of the letter - like Annie Apple!

Using pictures

While your child is still learning to recognize the letters of the alphabet, you can use pictures (or the actual item) to help them practise their sounds. Find pictures of a bird, a ball, a bat, a bath, a book, and so forth to practice the letter 'b'. Choose a letter for the day and encourage your child to find items that start with that letter around the house. Printable worksheets should have nice exercises for this as well.

Play sound games

A 'Sound Treasure Hunt' will have your child gathering items around the house all starting with the same letter - and of course there has to be some 'treasure' at the end of the game, so be prepared! 'I spy with my little eye' is another great game if you use sounds instead of the names of letters, and it can be played anywhere.

Read, read and read some more

You don't need worksheets for this one either, but you may want to join the local library rather than spend a fortune on books that your child outgrows as quickly as they outgrow their clothes! The more you read to your child, with your child and in front of your child, the quicker they will learn to read,
and learn how to enjoy it too.

Remember that reading is not only used to read novels. Your child will have to read instructions, worksheets, text books and test papers for a long time. The better they can read, the better their comprehension will be, and the better their test scores will be too. A comprehensive set of printable preschool worksheets will cover the basic skills your child needs so they can start school with confidence.