One of my favorite things to do when reading with young children is to pretend that I’ve forgotten how to hold a book. Do we start in the middle? No, that’s funny! Can we read the book backward or upside down? Of course, not!

Children love to make connections between written language and the words that they hear spoken aloud, especially while having fun and enjoying books together. Understanding how books work and that the text on a page has meaning is called "print awareness," an important early literacy skill for children to develop on their way to reading.

In fact, the ability to perform print awareness tasks is one of the most reliable indicators for future reading achievement. A recent study has shown that when children are encouraged to notice and recognize print in books, their resulting early print knowledge has a marked impact on their later literacy skills.

Fortunately, daily life provides many opportunities for children to practice this skill. Whether you are walking or driving to the library, shopping for groceries, or even just getting dressed in the morning, printed words are part of even the simplest tasks caregivers can engage in with their children. Sharing the connection between written language and the things, actions, and ideas that make up our world is an excellent way to boost children's print awareness and help prepare them for a life of reading.

Here are some easy ways that caregivers can reinforce this skill in everyday life:

• Include books and reading in your daily routine, even if the children in your care are babies. Kids will love the experience of playing with books, touching the pages, and turning them back and forth. Board books, in particular, allow them to practice handling a book without fear of damaging it.
• Pointing to some of the words while you read aloud is a fun and effective way to show that the writing on a page has meaning. Try sharing a book with a repeating phrase, such as in Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley. Encouraging children to say the repeating phrase as you point to it on the page is a great way to emphasize that we read the text, not the pictures.
• Shopping with young children can present many moments for developing their print awareness as well. Have them cross off items on your shopping list as you go through the store. Not only will this give them an idea of how much longer the trip will take, but it also lets them see the words for familiar foods and objects in print.
• Draw attention to familiar words and letters as they appear throughout your day. Restaurant menus, street signs, and food labels are readily available and show how print provides meaning and gives direction to even the most ordinary of tasks. Try pointing out the first letter in the child’s name as it appears on signs or reading aloud the washing instructions for clothing as you do the laundry.
• Be silly! When reading with children, try holding the book upside down or turning the pages backward. See if your child notices! Children learn best through play, so this goofy trick is really a great way to teach them how a book works.