Abstract
<jats:p>This article addresses the problem of developing reading competence in older preschool children through foreign language instruction — an area that remains underexplored in Russian early language teaching methodology. Drawing on competence-based and communicative approaches, the authors identify two components of reading competence that can be purposefully developed at preschool age: the capacity for creative listening, understood as an interest in and love of books, and the capacity for empathy with literary characters, understood as the ability to respond emotionally to the events of a narrative and evaluate characters' actions. The selection of these components is grounded in the structure of reading competence proposed by G.M. Pervova and aligned with the educational domains of the Federal State Educational Standard for Preschool Education. Narrative read-aloud in German is proposed as the methodological tool for developing these components, implemented through a three-stage structure — pre-reading, while-reading, and post-reading stages — each involving specific communicative techniques designed to organise dialogue within the triad of text, child, and teacher/peers. The methodological recommendations were piloted at two preschool institutions in Omsk between October and December 2025, with pedagogical observation conducted across 32 children. The series "Leo Lausemaus" by Marco Campanella served as the reading material. Observation results indicated positive dynamics across both components: children demonstrated sustained and growing interest in books, actively engaged in collaborative meaning-making, empathised with the protagonist, and independently articulated conclusions of a moral character.</jats:p>