Pre-Reading Activities for 1–2 Year Olds: 5 Household Activities for Print Awareness

According to India's National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), the Foundational Stage (ages 3–8) is built on play-based learning that began in infancy. But the seeds for reading are sown earlier: when a 18-month-old learns that the symbols on a cereal packet name that cereal, or that a book is a thing you hold and turn pages on, they're building what researchers call print concepts—the idea that written symbols carry meaning in a consistent, directional way.

What's Happening at This Age

Between 12 and 24 months, toddlers' brains are wiring up connections between sounds, shapes, and meaning. They recognise familiar faces, understand simple words, and start pointing at things they want or recognise. Around 15–18 months, they begin to notice patterns—including written letters and text on familiar objects like food packets or books.

This is the window when print directionality starts to matter. In Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, or English, text flows in a specific direction (left-to-right, top-to-bottom for most Indian languages). A toddler who traces their finger along a line of text on a newspaper or follows your finger as you point to letters is internalising that pattern without formal instruction. According to the National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage (NCF-FS 2022), this kind of informal, play-based exposure to print is the foundation for phonemic awareness and later decoding.

Try This at Home

Activity 1: Point to Words on Food Packets

You need: Three or four food packets from your kitchen (dal packets, rice boxes, biscuit tins, milk cartons with clear text).

How: Sit with your toddler and point slowly to the large text on the packet—the word "Rice" or "Dal" or "Biscuit." Say the word aloud as you point. Let your child trace their finger over the letters. Point to the same word on the same packet several times over days. Then show them the word on a different packet and ask, "Is this Rice too?" Repeat with two or three packets.

What it builds: Print awareness and the concept that the same symbol (a word) means the same thing everywhere. Easier: Just point and name. Harder: Point to a letter (e.g., the "R" in "Rice") and see if your child notices it on another packet.

Activity 2: Finger Tracing Left-to-Right on Newspaper

You need: An old newspaper or magazine, your finger (or a soft wooden spoon handle), tape to mark a start point if needed.

How: Spread the newspaper on the floor or a table. Point to the beginning of a headline or a line of text and say, "We read this way," moving your finger slowly left-to-right along the line. Pause and let your child place their finger on yours and feel the direction. Do this three or four times with different lines. Some toddlers will copy the motion; others will just watch. Both are learning directionality.

What it builds: Directional awareness (left-to-right, top-to-bottom) and fine motor control in finger tracking. Easier: Use just a single word or large headline. Harder: Point to a word in one line, then find the same word in another line nearby.

Activity 3: Turn Cardboard Book Pages Together

You need: A sturdy cardboard or board book with thick pages (any book from your home—picture books, concept books, even a homemade cardboard book you've made).

How: Sit together and hold the book between you. Say, "Watch, we turn the page," and deliberately turn one page slowly. Let your child reach out and feel the page turning. Turn back and forth a few times. Don't focus on reading the words—focus on the physical action and the sequence (page opens, new pictures appear, we turn again). Repeat this over several days with the same book or different books.

What it builds: Book-handling skills, understanding that books have a direction and sequence, and the motor pattern for turning pages independently. Easier: Use cardboard or cloth books with very thick pages. Harder: Point to a picture on the first page, turn the page, and ask, "Where did it go?" then turn back to find it.

Activity 4: Label Household Objects with Sticky Notes

You need: Sticky notes (or small pieces of paper taped on), a marker, common household items (the door, a cup, a chair, a toy basket).

How: Write the name of the object (in Hindi, English, or both—"Darvaza" and "Door") on a sticky note in large, clear letters. Place it on the object and say the word aloud. Point to the letters as you say them. Walk around and point to each label and say the word. Over a week, add more labels. Your toddler will start to associate the visual shape of the word with the object. Some children will point to the label and babble; that's progress.

What it builds: Print awareness, sight-word recognition (they learn that specific squiggles mean "cup" or "door"), and vocabulary. Easier: Use just one label per room. Harder: Remove a label and ask, "Where's the word for cup?" or point to the label and name the object without saying it first.

Activity 5: Pretend-Reading Gestures and "Reading" Familiar Stories

You need: Any book your child knows well, or even a magazine with familiar advertisements.

How: Hold the book and point to the text (not just the pictures) and make reading-like sounds or gestures—exaggerated nodding, pointing, turning pages in rhythm with your speech. Say, "This is where the story goes," or "Let's read this," while pointing at the actual text, not just the images. Let your child watch and imitate. Some toddlers will hold the book and babble while pointing, mimicking your reading behaviour. Celebrate this—it's pretend-reading, and it's a major milestone.

What it builds: Understanding that books are read (not just looked at), that text is what's being read (not just the pictures), and confidence in holding and handling books as a normal activity. Easier: Just point and say the story. Harder: Point to different parts of the text and ask, "What does this say?" (Accept any babbling response as valid.)

What 'Getting It' Looks Like

By 20–24 months, a child showing progress in print awareness will start pointing to text unprompted (on a food packet, a street sign, or a book). They may trace their finger along lines without being asked. They'll turn pages in a book independently or ask for books by reaching or pointing. They might babble or make reading-like sounds while looking at a book alone. Some children will try to copy letters by scribbling or point to a familiar word and say the word aloud. None of these need to happen by 24 months—every child is different—but if you see any of these, it's a sign they're building foundational print concepts.

When to Move On, and When to Ask

By 24–30 months, you can introduce slightly longer activities: phonics rhymes, letter-sound songs, or early reader books with repetitive text. If by 30 months your child shows no interest in books, doesn't point to things on request, or shows no awareness of print in everyday spaces (food packets, signs), chat with your paediatrician. Delays are sometimes connected to hearing, vision, or language development and are best flagged early. Most toddlers are simply not ready for formal reading instruction until 3.5–4 years, and that's completely normal.

If You're Homeschooling

Slot these five activities into your weekly rhythm: one packet-pointing session, one newspaper tracing session, one book-turning session, and integrate sticky-note labels into your home rotation ongoing. Add pretend-reading whenever you sit with a book (daily, ideally). No need for rigid schedules; 10–15 minutes of print-focused play daily is enough. This is the "literacy" foundation NEP 2020 calls for at the Foundational Stage.

What Helps at Home (Optional)

Every activity above works beautifully with things you already own. A few products can make this play richer: a set of sturdy board books with large, bold text, a set of wooden or magnetic letters (so they can explore shapes), or a simple flashcard set focused on one-word concepts. But none of these are required—newspapers, food packets, and books you already own will get you 90% of the way there.