Promoting Meaning-Focused Skills: Creating a Foundation for Comprehension in Early Childhood Classrooms

Young children's meaning-focused skills are foundational for reading comprehension and begin to develop prior to formal reading instruction. In this article, we argue for the importance of supporting meaning-focused skills in early childhood classrooms. We describe authentic, real-life examples of engaging preschool children in activities that promote meaning-focused skills and highlight how these align with research. In doing so, we provide insight into what early childhood teachers can do in their classrooms to foster the development of critical skills related to comprehension.