Podcast Summary: Talking Toddlers

Episode 122: Reading Starts at Birth: 10 Foundations Only Parents Can Give

Host: Erin Hyer
Date: September 23, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Erin Hyer—licensed speech-language pathologist and veteran parent coach—delivers a comprehensive, practical guide for parents to lay the groundwork for their children's reading success from birth onward. Erin explains why reading is not "natural," discusses the limitations of current educational systems, and details 10 foundational language-building habits that parents can easily integrate into daily routines. The discussion is motivating, science-driven, and threaded with encouragement for parents as their child's most vital teacher.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Reading is Not "Natural"

[00:00–06:45]

• Speech is Biological; Reading is Constructed:
  Unlike speech, reading is not innate to humans; it's a relatively recent, man-made skill in the context of human history.

• The Reading Crisis:
  "Here in the United States, only 1/3 of 4th graders are proficient in reading. That means two out of three children are already behind. And those numbers have not improved in decades." — Erin Hyer, 03:45

• Schools Are Not Keeping Up:
  Decades of brain science show what children need before learning to read, but schools often lag, so parents must step in early.

2. Role of Auditory Processing in Reading

[06:45–14:00]

• Oral Language as Foundation:
  "The reading and writing skills depend, are directly correlated, with speech and language being strong, proficient, efficient, and masterful." — Erin Hyer, 10:40
• Auditory Processing Speed:
  Children process sounds at lightning-fast speeds—25–35 milliseconds per sound—and strong auditory processing predicts reading ease.
• Actionable Takeaway:
  Prioritize speech, language, and social skill development from birth to age 6.

The 10 Foundational Skills for Early Literacy

Erin presents ten practical, play-based habits that wire children’s brains for success in literacy—each explained, with rationale and examples.

1. Board Games

[14:20]

• Teach turn-taking, sequencing, visual tracking, and self-regulation.
• Emphasize scaffolding: “Modify, modify, modify.”
• Memorable moment: Erin recommends Pop the Pig as an ideal entry-level board game.

2. Purposeful Solo Play

[18:05]

• Fosters internal imagination, planning, and focus (key for later reading comprehension).
• Erin warns: "Screens are passive, purposeful play is active." — 19:48

3. Enjoying Books Together

[21:00]

• Finger tracking the print gives a “huge boost” to reading readiness.
• "Track the print in the book with your finger as we read out loud... giving them a huge boost.” — Erin Hyer, 22:02
• Use both simple, repetitive books (for code-breaking) and richer, more complex stories (for imagination).
• Books act as a script for tired parents to engage in rich language modeling.

4. Rhyming

[24:30]

• Early rhyming distinguishes children on the path to reading.
• Practice with real and nonsense words, in playful daily routines.
• “You are literally exercising the auditory cortex... building their listening skills.” — Erin Hyer, 27:00

5. Social Communication

[29:50]

• Family mealtimes: a gold mine for storytelling, sequencing, turn-taking, perspective-taking.
• “Dinner time is a gold mine ... tell stories, take turns, recap your day.” — Erin Hyer, 30:00
• Social chatter builds the deeper language structures needed for comprehension—not typically taught in school.

6. Imaginative and Pretend Play

[34:05]

• Elaborate pretend scenarios build inner dialogue, flexibility, and emotion understanding.
• “These aren't just cute little games ... they're really literacy rehearsals.” — Erin Hyer, 37:00
• Model play through puppet shows, role-swapping, and real-life event reenactments.

7. Correcting Others (Verbal Absurdities/Silly Mistakes)

[38:40]

• Encourage your child to spot and correct silly errors (e.g., calling a pencil a shoe).
• Promotes attention, discrimination, and the habit of self-correcting while reading.

8. Following Directions Without Gestures

[42:10]

• Train the brain for pure auditory processing—no pointing or physical cues.
• Progress from simple to complex verbal-only instructions to stretch working memory and comprehension.

9. Identifying Line Drawings (Symbol Awareness)

[47:12]

• Teach that lines and shapes represent real things—precursor for understanding letters as symbols for sounds.
• Activities like “connect the dots” build the bridge between pictorial and abstract written language.
• Clarifies that true “sight words” are very few; most words are decodable.

10. Emergent Use of Writing Tools

[51:26]

• Fine motor practice with chunky crayons, markers, paintbrushes supports early writing.
• "Reading and writing are two sides of the same coin." — Erin Hyer, 51:45
• Recommends Handwriting Without Tears as an explicit, sequenced handwriting program.
  • Touching story: A former client credits her college writing success to early instruction with this program (52:20).

Q&A: Phonics vs. Phonological Awareness

[54:40]

• Yes, phonics (matching letters to sounds) is essential—but phonological awareness (playing with the sounds in words) comes first.
• Skills like rhyming and syllable clapping precede formal phonics and set the neural stage for reading.

Key Takeaways & Memorable Quotes

“Reading is man-made and is layered on top of our natural human speech and language system.”
Erin Hyer, 56:00

• Build daily, small, language-rich routines—“tiny choices that compound over time” (58:40).
• Parents, not schools or apps, are the central figures in a child's early brain and reading development.
• Prevention beats remediation every time. The best time to start was yesterday. The second best time is today. — Erin Hyer, 59:50

Practical Take-Home Actions [59:30–end]

• Play one board game, scaffold and narrate steps.
• Start a simple rhyming game in the car or bathtub.
• Retell a family story at dinner.
• Track print with your finger when reading books out loud.
• Pull out crayons and encourage drawing or fine motor practice.

Download the episode's checklist of the 10 skills (see show notes).

Final Encouragement

Erin closes with reassurance that your presence, purpose, and playfulness matter more than any formal classroom:

“You are your child's most important teacher… When you build speech and language and social connection from the beginning, from infancy, you're not just preparing them for school, you're preparing them for life.”
Erin Hyer, 01:01:08