Reading falls under the four langauge skills namely LSRW , Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Traditionally, reading was narrowly conceptualized as a decoding process, that is, speaking out  written language. In terms of literacy acquisition the dominant perspective (reading readiness) considered learning to read as learning to decode. In terms of material, it meant that the texts were structured around letter-sounds and children were expected to master the letter-sound correspondence and learn about blending to decode words. The assumption behind constructing materials was a ‘bottom-up’ approach to reading, where the whole consisted of parts and by learning parts one could learn the whole. Varnmala , barakhadi in pre- primary and primary classes along with drill based letter writing was the road to langauge teaching.

This view of reading has been challenged in recent years. An alternative perspective, emergent literacy, based on a different and broader conceptualization of reading and development has gained prominence. Literacy is not viewed merely as decoding but rather the whole act of reading, including comprehension (Mason and Sinha, 1993).

Emergent literacy perspective advocates literacy learning by interacting with meaningful texts for genuine purposes including enjoyment as early as to three years depending on age appropriate material. The text when are considerate towards children, better is the process of motivation for them to read.This perspective focuses on all aspects of language (semantic, syntactic, and graphophonic), and not merely on phonics. Also Read About Top 10 Preschool In India

Hence, we must understand that Reading  is a cognitive process involving decoding symbols to arrive at meaning. During this processing of information, the reader uses strategies to understand what they are reading, uses themes to organize ideas, and uses textual clues to find the meanings of new words. It is also not just done in language classrooms, but across curriculum and is a lifelong activity.

The suggestive approach to reading is top-down processing approach which revolutionized the conception of the way students learn to read (Goodman 1967; Smith 1994). In this view, reading is not just extracting meaning from a text but a process of connecting information in the text with the knowledge the reader brings to the act of reading. Reading, in this sense, is “a dialogue between the reader and the text” (Grabe 1988, 56).

 It is basically making readers  be at the forefront and is an active cognitive process in which the reader’s background knowledge plays a key role in the creation of meaning (Tierney and Pearson 1994). There are several indicators that enable early and careful development of reading. Like:

1. Importance of Rich reading environment for Children(at home , school, culture , outside world)- The National Curriculum Framework (NCF) -2005 appreciates the importance of a print-rich environment as one of the strongest tools for reading. There should be enough printed material in and around the classroom. Symbols, charts and notices should be placed in the class so that children can learn the sounds of various letters along with their written symbols. NCF-2005 also supports the use of reading material other than textbooks for children. The exposure of children to printed material in their surroundings is essential. Read More :- Best play school in Delhi

Also , at school the School and classroom libraries have a significant role to play in children’s literacy.The research, commissioned by the Great School Libraries campaign, highlights the benefits having a library can have on reading and writing skills, enjoyment of reading and improving general academic achievement.

DEAR programs in preschools and primary schools are a significant step towards the same. Junior Delhi School, leading playschool franchise India is a prime example of it.