At the DAS Preschool Seminar 2025, our panel discussion sparked lively engagement, with many participants eager to dive deeper into topics around early literacy, learning differences, and classroom strategies.
While we couldn’t answer every question during the live session, we were heartened by the thoughtful submissions from parents and educators alike. We’ve compiled the written responses to the thoughtful questions submitted by our eager participants.
We hope that this offers practical tips and guidance for parents, educators, and caregivers working to support children in the foundational years of their learning journey.
Whether you’re navigating reading challenges, exploring different learning styles, or looking for fresh ways to encourage a love for books—these insights are for you.
"My son enjoys comics like Dog Man, but struggles when reading other books. He mostly browses the pictures without reading the words. Should I be concerned, or just let him enjoy the comics?"
Even though he mostly looks at the pictures now, it’s still a positive way he’s connecting with books and stories. Think of the pictures as helping him understand the story.
While you want to promote reading, you could consider pointing to the words while reading the book together. Read the words aloud. You can make funny voices when you read what the characters are saying. Ask him what he thinks a character is saying before reading the words.
The goal is to make reading fun. He is learning about stories even by looking at the pictures. As he enjoys the comics, he might become more curious about the words later.
"My child only wants to read non-fiction books. Is this something I should try to change?"
It’s perfectly fine that your child is keen to read only non-fiction books at this stage.
To encourage your child to read different genres of books, you could consider looking for fictional books that are related to their non-fiction interests. For example, if they love dinosaurs, you could introduce a fictional story about a child who discovers a dinosaur egg.
You could also consider reading aloud a variety of fiction genres during story time. This exposes them to different types of stories without pressure to read them independently.
"Are there any early reader book series with progressive difficulty levels besides Peter and Jane?"
You can consider the Oxford Reading Tree, which also offers levelled reading. For ebook resources, you could consider RAZ Kids Plus.
"How can I cultivate a love for reading based on my child’s learning style (e.g., auditory, kinesthetic, visual)?"
For auditory learners, you could read aloud using expressive voices and intonation to bring stories to life. You can also provide access to audiobooks.
For kinaesthetic learners, encourage the child to act out the stories. You could consider using blocks or Legos to build and create a scene from the book.
For visual learners, use picture books and graphic novels, as the illustrations are highly engaging and provide context.
"How can educators and caregivers balance developing reading skills with fostering enjoyment—especially for children with learning difficulties?"
Balancing skill development with fostering enjoyment in reading, especially for children with learning difficulties, is crucial for creating lifelong readers. For example, instead of isolated activities to work on skills, you can consider teaching skills within the context of the story or activity. For example, you could work on phonological awareness through rhyming games when reading a book that involves rhyme. To work on fine motor skills, you could also encourage the child to paint a picture from a scene in the book.
By thoughtfully integrating skill development with a focus on enjoyment, you can empower children with learning difficulties.
"What are some literacy-rich experiences beyond books that can help build strong reading habits?"
It’s wonderful to think of literacy as more than just reading printed books. Audiobooks, interactive reading apps, storytelling videos, and even simple things like signs, menus, and posters (also called environmental print) all offer rich opportunities to build literacy.
You can explore a mix of multimodal texts—such as story apps with animations, songs with lyrics, or video stories that encourage participation. These can be especially engaging for young children and support various learning styles.
It’s also helpful to offer a balance of reading platforms, such as physical books, eBooks, and digital story tools. Each one brings a different kind of engagement and supports the development of different literacy skills.
Lastly, keep reading experiences activity-rich. Encourage your child to act out a story, create their own ending, or draw a scene. These hands-on experiences deepen comprehension and make reading more meaningful and fun.
"Many preschool teachers feel unprepared to manage the wide range of literacy levels in their classrooms. What advice would you give to help build their confidence?"
It is important to remember that every child has their unique journey to pick up literacy skills. For students who may need more support, you may want to focus on skills such as listening and speaking. Another area of focus could also include developing their love for reading, developing phonological awareness, and print awareness. These are existing skillsets that teachers already have and are able to apply to support their children.
We hope you find these insights useful!
If you would like to learn more about how DAS supports early literacy development, we invite you to explore our Preschool Programme. Designed for young learners with potential learning differences, the programme focuses on building foundational language and literacy skills in a supportive and structured environment.
👉 Find out more about the DAS Preschool Programme here
