Back to the Basics: Growing Early Literacy Through the Senses
Long before screens, children's brains developed in rhythm with the environment. Reading readiness was rooted in sensory experiences–in open fields, shared kitchens, winding trails, and storytelling circles. Children listened to fireside tales, named plants on walks, clapped along to community chants, and followed recipes with elders. These rituals laid the groundwork for language through repetition, movement, and rhythm, which supported the development of brain networks essential for learning to read.
They also aligned with our natural circadian rhythms—the biological patterns that help regulate sleep, attention, and learning. And when multiple senses are engaged, research shows that learning becomes more memorable and meaningful.
Today, it’s tempting to hand over a screen to keep kids entertained—especially in summer. And while technology can be useful, its impact depends on how and when it’s used. Summer gives us an opportunity to shift to a lower gear and slow down. This summer let's connect with nature and engage our senses. In fact, recent research shows that outdoor physical activity may be even more beneficial than indoor activity for cognitive development in children, including attention, memory, and learning capacity.
Below is a multisensory guide—pick one activity each day to do with your child for just 10–15 minutes. Designed especially for ages 3–6 (but beneficial for all), these moments build early reading readiness in playful ways.
HEARING (Auditory Awareness)
Phonological awareness is built on listening.
Phonics, or the relationship between sounds and symbols, are the building blocks for reading. For thousands of years, children learned language by ear—hearing stories, songs, and spoken traditions passed down for generations. These experiences attuned their ears to rhythm, syllables, and the musical patterns of speech.
Play rhyming games: Say two words and ask if they rhyme. Make it silly! (“Cat–hat?” “Tree–knee?” “Dog–log?”) Add in non-rhyming words too (“Bird-bug?”) to sharpen listening/sound discrimination.
Sing songs and nursery rhymes: Classics like Twinkle Twinkle or The Itsy Bitsy Spider support rhythm, syllables, and memory.
Sound scavenger hunt: Ask “Can you find something that starts with the /s/ sound?” This builds sound-letter connections in a playful way.
Listening walks: Take a slow walk together and notice all the sounds around you—birds, cars, footsteps, wind. Pause to ask, “What do you hear now?” or play a guessing game with eyes closed. This strengthens attention and auditory discrimination, vital for learning to read.
SEEING (Visual Learning)
Letter recognition and word awareness begin with what we see.
From cave drawings to woven patterns, humans have long connected visual patterns with meaning. Helping children recognize shapes, symbols, and visual details lays the groundwork for reading.
Alphabet hunt: Look for letters on signs, cereal boxes, or in books. Make it a game!
Make name tags: Write your child’s name on sticky labels and place them on favorite toys. Seeing their name builds familiarity.
Picture-to-word matching: Pair drawings or magazine pictures with printed words. Let your child connect visuals to language.
Tracking games: Play Where’s Waldo or I Spy to strengthen focus, pattern recognition, and visual memory.
TOUCH (Tactile Learning)
Hands-on activities help connect language to real-world meaning.
Children once learned through doing—kneading dough, braiding rope, shaping clay. These activities grounded language in movement and memory.
Draw stick figures with different colors: Stick figures have all of the different line strokes needed to form letters. Make each part of the body a different color.
Make letters with playdough: Shape letters and say the sounds aloud.
Sand or shaving cream writing: Let your child trace letters with their finger—fun, messy, and sensory-rich.
Clap out syllables: Ask “How many claps in dinosaur?” (Di-no-saur = three!) This builds awareness of word parts in a kinetic way.
SMELL & TASTE (Less Obvious, but Powerful)
Engaging the whole body—especially smell and taste—enhances memory and vocabulary.
Food offers countless language-rich moments: naming ingredients, describing scents, and following steps. These moments connect language to emotion, strengthening recall and understanding.
Cooking together: Read a simple recipe out loud. Let your child help stir, smell, and taste along the way. Great for sequencing, vocabulary, and following instructions.
Scent matching game: Take out spice jars (e.g. pepper, thyme, cinnamon) and cover the labels. Take turns guessing and naming them. This builds descriptive language in a fun, sensory way.
Bonus: Story Ritual
Across cultures and generations, families have ended the day with story, song, or prayer. These moments create emotional safety and support our natural circadian rhythms—calming the body and priming the brain for memory.
Create a simple bedtime reading routine—even just 10 minutes a night makes a difference.
Choose books with rhyme, repetition, and rich language.
Let your child engage by describing the pictures or repeating familiar lines.
Keep it cozy and predictable. The ritual is what matters most.
Final Thought:
Summer is full of possibilities. By returning to nature, we can nurture early literacy in playful ways. When you engage your child’s senses—and share age-old practices that connect us to the Earth–you’re laying a lifelong foundation for confident reading, meaningful connection, and deep learning.
And remember: the goal is presence not perfection; nature and nurture.
Want to Learn More?
Multisensory Integration and Child Neurodevelopment