Natural Ways to Support Early Reading

Turn your daily routines into powerful learning moments

Dear parents,

Recently I have been thinking a lot about literacy — my older daughter is turning 4 this weekend, and will be starting kindergarten this August. Her growing ability to spell words and (almost) write her name correctly has made me realize how crucial early exposure to written language can be.

I would like to support her on this journey, but I don’t really know how. For that reason I have started educating myself on that particular topic — among others.

I am currently reading a book “Learning to Read and Write in the Multilingual Family” by Dr Xiao-lei Wang, which is part of a Parents’ and Teachers’ Guides series. The book is written in a form of an actionable guide — I highly recommend it to parents who are interested in the topic (and feel like have time on their hands to spend evenings reading about reading :))

One particular aspect of literacy support caught my attention: the power of environmental print. It turns out, literacy development isn't just about structured reading time or worksheet practice – it's about the words that surround us every day.

What is Environmental Print?

When I think about literacy and teaching my daughters to read, I tend to think about sitting down together with books to read or letter practice worksheets. But this is not the only way in which you can support child’s literacy.

Environmental print is the written language we encounter in our daily lives:

• Store logos and signs

• Product packaging

• Street signs

• License plates

• Clothing labels

• Restaurant menus

• Digital screens

• Billboard advertisements

Why It Matters for Multilingual Children

In our daily lives we are surrounded by letters and words, and children, even quite young, absorb all of it. My daughter recognises names of supermarkets we regularly go to or names of products we buy even though she technically cannot read them.

Just today, my daughter spotted a Japanese takeaway sign and asked, "Why are there Chinese letters there?" (She wasn't wrong – Japanese does share characters with Chinese!)

This natural curiosity about written language is exactly what we want to support.

Creating a language reach environment from early age plays an important role in supporting literacy — especially if your heritage language uses a different writing system than child’s first language.

6 Ways to Support Early Literacy -No Extra Work Required

Morning Routines

Have you noticed how even your 4-year-old recognises their favourite cereal box or yogurt? They might point and say "this one!" before they can read.

If you have any products from your home country, use these moments to casually share: "Yes, that's your yogurt! See this big 'J' here? It says JOGURT, this is how we write yoghurt in Polish" Let them lead with their interests - no teaching required.

Favourite Books

During your regular story time, your little one probably loves pointing at pictures. When they point to their favorite character or object, you can casually mention "Oh yes, that's a cat! Look, in Chinese we write cat like this..."

Keep it light and fun - just like sharing any other exciting discovery.

Songs and Rhymes

When singing favourite nursery rhymes or songs, occasionally point to written words in your songbook if you have one.

Toddlers and preschoolers love repetition - they might start recognizing how certain words look just from seeing them during their favorite songs. No pressure, just part of the fun!

Letters, Letters, Letters Everywhere

There are plenty of opportunities to integrate letters into all kinds of games: wooden letter puzzles, letter magnets, cards with letters — you get it.

I have not paid too much conscious attention to this myself, but I noticed that it helps to reenforce what the child already knows and they often ask “what letter is that?” —great opportunity for learning through play.

Surrounding yourself with letters, especially if your language uses different script than Roman script (e.g. Hanzi (Chinese), Cyrillic (Russian), Arabic etc.)

Out and About

Young children are naturally curious about their environment. When your 3-year-old points excitedly at a familiar store logo or sign, join their enthusiasm: "Yes, that's where we buy ice cream! The sign says 'ice cream' in our language too!" Let their natural curiosity guide these moments.

Drawing Time

When your little one is scribbling or drawing (as preschoolers love to do!), they might ask what you're doing when you write their name on their artwork. This is a perfect time to casually show them: "I'm writing 'Maya's drawing' in Japanese. Should we put today's date too?" Follow their interest - sometimes they'll want to know more, sometimes they'll just want to keep drawing!

Remember: At this young age, it's all about natural exposure and following their curiosity. No flashcards needed - just share the joy of discovering written language in your daily life together!

Your Turn

📊 Quick Poll: How do you currently approach teaching writing in your heritage language?

💭 Reflection: Think about your daily routines:

• What written languages do you encounter most often?

• Which language feels more "visible" in your environment?

• How could you naturally increase exposure to your heritage language's writing system?

Share the love ❤️

Do you have your own hacks for supporting language literacy? Share it in a comment:

Know someone who might use some support in their multilingual journey?

As always, thanks for reading and see you next week!

Magda

P.S. If there are specific challenges you'd like me to explore in future newsletters, just hit me at multilingualfamilyplaybook@substack.com. Your questions often lead to our best discussions!