08/21/2026
We’re HEAR for building lifelong readers! 📚✨
Did you know early reading skills start long before a child ever learns to decode letters on a page?
For children who are deaf or hard of hearing, developing strong listening and spoken language skills goes hand in hand with early literacy. Building these skills at home does not need to be rigid, just fun, interactive storytime!
Here are a few quick tips from our team to make reading together at home engaging and stress-free:
⏱️ Manage time expectations: Toddlers naturally have short attention spans! Start with just a few minutes together and slowly build up reading time as their stamina grows.
🎈 Keep it fun & flexible: It is completely okay to skip pages, talk about the pictures instead of reading every word, or set the book aside for later if they lose interest.
💬 Balance questions with comments: Avoid making storytime feel like a test! Instead of asking "What color is this?", try simple comments like "Wow, look at that giraffe's LONG neck!" then pause to see if your child chimes in.
👀 Follow your child’s lead: Talk about what captures their curiosity. Focus on what they are looking at or pointing to, or ask a simple open question like "What do you see?"
When shared reading is interactive and pressure-free, children build the confidence, vocabulary, and listening skills they need to become eager readers! 💙
Read the full guide on our blog: https://listenandtalk.org/how-to-build-early-reading-skills-at-home/
