Supporting early reading in children with Down syndrome

Reading can be a strength for many children with Down syndrome, especially when we build on what they do well. In this article, Sarah Holton, DSUK’s Early Years Development lead, shares simple, practical techniques you can use in your setting to support early reading, communication, and confidence. Whether you’re working in nursery, pre-school or beginning school, these approaches can make learning to read more accessible, enjoyable, and meaningful for every child. 

Shared reading builds confidence 

Sharing books is one of the most powerful ways to support early literacy. It helps children learn how books work, enjoy stories, develop their vocabulary and builds attention and focus. 

Simple ways to encourage this include: 

• Reading familiar books again and again – repetition supports understanding and joining in when there’s parts you know is fun!  
• Pointing to words as they are read by an adult, shows how print carries meaning and the difference between print and pictures. 
• Encouraging children to turn pages, look at and point to pictures themselves.
• Introducing a variety of books and ones that keep interest to keep motivation high. 

These small interactions help children develop early book skills and a positive relationship with reading. 

Introducing word reading 

Due to their relative visual strengths, many children with Down syndrome learn best through a whole-word approach in the early stages. Building a bank of sight words can be used to support expressive and receptive language development as well as beginning to understand reading. 

Useful strategies include: 

• Developing personal books about themes of interest (family members, transport, food, favourite things etc) – Uuse a clear picture with the word written underneath. 
• Matching those pictures to pictures, words to pictures and then words to words helps to learn and understand vocabulary, and then link to recognising the word. 
• Selecting the correct word from a choice of two words or a small group of words (a great way to check understanding from children who aren’t verbally confident). 
• Naming words aloud when shown. 
• No time frames – introducing vocabulary and the written word in targeted sets and extending when the child is ready, and using the same strategies each time. 

Early word combinations to support language 

Word reading also supports speech and language development and we can use simple written sentences to help children practise combining spoken words and building meaning. Start with everyday combinations that build on the words they already know, to put two words together. 

Useful strategies include: 

• Use personal books with photos and words that extend from the one-word books, to two-word books i.e. mummy eating, daddy drinking (noun + verb is a good place to start). 
• Matching sentences to pictures. 
• Use sign/act out the sentence to help with understanding. 
• Choosing the correct word to complete a simple sentence with picture prompt.
• Building sentences using word cards. 
• No time frame – some children will be extending their one-word knowledge and others may move on to more combinations. Every child is different and works at their own pace (but lots of repetition and consolidation helps!)

These activities strengthen verbal short-term memory and help children see how words fit together, as well as giving them lots of opportunities to hear and practise speech.   

The importance of using print – make it clear and bold 

Print can support spoken language, memory and understanding, and is a great visual prompt for talking (even for ‘non – readers’) 

It is best to: 

• Use large, clear words on cards, sentence strips, and around the setting.  
• Keep print consistent so children see the same words in the same format (and adults use the print to remind them to say the same thing!) 
• Use print as a prompt for talking, not just reading. 
• Avoid symbol-heavy systems at this stage – simple print is often more effective.

This approach helps children link spoken and written language, giving them a strong foundation for later reading. 

A final word 

With the right strategies, early reading can become an area of success for many young children with Down syndrome. By using clear print, shared reading, a whole word approach and simple word-combining activities, you can help every child build confidence in reading and communication skills. 

For more information, practical strategies and ready-to-use resources, sign up to our Early Years Development Programme today.