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Your child is ready for this stage if they can speak clearly and understand words. Anywhere from three to four years old.
Learning to hear the individual sounds that make up words is a foundational step in learning to sound out and read words. To facilitate this development I begin reading nursery rhymes and other books as soon as my babies are born. Once they are speaking well you can begin these activities:
Sounding out words. The point of this activity is for your child to hear and recognize the sounds that make up words. Tell them a word, short and simple at first, like MAP or DOG. Show them how the word is make up of mmm-aaa-p, saying each sound separately. Give your child various short words to sound out, and have them give you words as well. This ability is called “phonological awareness” and is essential for future spelling and reading skills.
Rhyming. Children love this game and it’s also an important skill for future spelling. Give your child a word, like bug, and ask them to think of words that rhyme with it. Your child may not know what that means, so simply show them: “slug, rug, etc.”
Keep playing these games (along with reading aloud everyday) for a few months to a year before the next stage.
Here are my favorite books for this stage:
Read Aloud Rhymes For The Very Young