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Learning about books and print

Short ways to share books with your child and to notice the words on covers, signs and labels.

This guide is about sharing books and noticing the words on covers, signs and labels. Your child points, looks and listens. They do not have to read or say anything.

Keep it short, and stop when your child loses interest.

When children learn this

  • Health checklists say that by 4, most children can tell what comes next in a story they know well.
  • Health checklists say that by 5, most children name some letters when you point to them.
  • Health checklists use 'most children' to mean at least 3 in 4 children. If your child is not doing a 'most children' skill by the age given, see your GP or child health nurse for advice.
  • By 6, many children begin reading short books with easy words.
  • Children learn these skills at different ages.

Try this

While you play

Read the title of a book with a dog on the cover, and run your finger under the words.

  • You: These words are the title.
  • Your child: (points to the dog)
  • You: A dog. This book is about a dog.

Around the house

At bedtime, stop before a part of a story your child knows, and wait. If they say nothing, read on.

  • You: The cat climbed up the tree, and then ...
  • Your child: Stuck!
  • You: The cat got stuck up the tree.

When you go out

On a walk, point to the word on a sign and read it.

  • You: This sign says stop.
  • Your child: (points) Red!
  • You: A red sign. It tells the cars to stop.

Why it helps

  • When you point to the words in a book or on a sign, and talk about the cover and the title, your child sees the words and the parts of a book. When you pause, your child has a chance to talk. Your child does not have to copy you.

When to get help

  • Children who have trouble with talking are more likely to find reading and writing hard. A speech pathologist can help with these early skills too.
  • Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 3 and 4 and does not understand simple instructions.
  • Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 4 and 5 and has trouble understanding what people say.
  • Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is 5 or older and has trouble telling a simple story or what happened, has trouble understanding what they hear or what is read to them, or has a lot of trouble following or remembering spoken instructions.
  • If you are worried about your child's early reading and writing skills, or reading and writing were hard for close family, talk to your child's teacher at preschool or school, your GP or child health nurse, or the speech pathologist.

More help

Sources

© State of New South Wales. For current information go to www.nsw.gov.au. CC BY 4.0.

Last checked 14 October 2026

General information, not medical advice. Talk to a health professional about your child.

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