Letter Knowledge

Identify the uppercase letters on the front cover. Read the title and then ask your child to use his “superhero” powers to locate a specific letter that matches a sound that you make or a shape that you describe. For example, you might say:

“Use your superhero powers to find the letter that looks like a sneaky snake and says ‘ssss’. What is the name of that sneaky snake letter? S.”

Phonological Awareness

Read the short descriptors of each superhero. For example, you might read, “Bubble-Man Blows Big Bubbles at Bullies!” Ask your child to identify the beginning sound that you hear in each of the words. You might say:

“What sound do you hear at the beginning of ‘Blows, Big, Bubbles, Bullies’?”

Letter Knowledge

Identify uppercase letters. Ask your child to look for a certain uppercase alphabet letter. Invite your child to touch the letter and count how many times it appears on a page. Provide a sheet of paper where you can keep count. At the end of the story, compare and see which letter you found the most, or the least.

Oral Language

Introduce vocabulary. Some of the vocabulary words may be unfamiliar to your child. If you come to a word that might be unfamiliar, ask your child what the word might mean. If he is unable to provide a close definition, you can provide it, or look for clues in the illustrations that might help him get to the meaning.

Phonological Awareness

Let your child choose her favorite superhero. Turn to that page to play this listening game. Choose two words that begin with the same sound and one word that begins with a different sound. Encourage your child to tell you which words start with the same sound. For example, you might say:

“Many, men, all. Which words start with the mmm sound?”

Beginning Writing

Invite your child to think of a superhero that he would like to be. Invite your child to name the superhero and to draw a picture and write a story about the heroic things that he can do.

Learn more about the importance of Letter Knowledge as a reading readiness skill, and explore easy reading activities for 5-year-olds. 

The Reading BrightStart! Preschool Reading Screener can help you measure your child's reading readiness skills. It takes only a few minutes, and comes with a free plan for moving forward.