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Words, Words, Words. Building Print Concepts with Preschoolers

August 20, 2010 by notjustcute Filed Under: Building Readers 11 Comments

Before a child can begin to put the sounds together to read about Sam and his green eggs, he must have mastered the concepts of print.  In large part, this means that he understands that letters can combine to make words and that written words convey meaning.  It requires some abstract thinking, as a child comes to realize that these organized symbols represent spoken words, which in turn, represent actual objects and ideas.  Concepts of print also includes directionality (left to right, top to bottom) and function.  So how do you go about instilling children with an understanding of the concepts of print?  Here are a few ideas:

Hit the Books

Sharing books with children is one of the best ways to help them learn that print carries meaning.  We don’t often think about it as a learned skill, but children do need to learn how books “work”.  Point out the title as well as the author and illustrator names.  Use those terms and talk about how the children are authors and illustrators too!  As you read, children are learning how to hold a book, where the text is, that print flows from left to right and top to bottom(if you are following along with your finger or a pointer), and which direction the pages turn.  So many concepts in one enjoyable experience!  Now, don’t bore your children with these concepts; there’s no need to belabor the point.  Simply be aware of them so that you know when and how to emphasize them, and also recognize when children are beginning to master some of these concepts.

Environmental Print

The term, “environmental print” does not refer to the Sierra Club’s latest newsletter.  Environmental print includes the printed words that children see and interact with on a regular basis.  These are often the first words children can “read” by sight, because they become meaningful and familiar.  Environmental print can consist of signs, labels, charts, and branding.  Yes, as much as we may not like the barrage of marketing towards children, the fact that your child can “read” the word Cars on any Pixar packaging, means he is building concepts of print.

 A World of Words.  One way to draw attention to environmental print is to create a word wall.  There are many ways to use a word wall, but one great way is for collecting environmental print.  This means that the children cut out words (and some accompanying pictures) from cereal boxes, magazines, and even fast food take-out containers.  Each word is then discussed and analyzed and attached to the wall near the letter of the alphabet that is at the beginning of the word.  So, near the letter P, you may have labels for pizza, popsicles, popcorn, and princesses.  This not only emphasizes the meaning of the words, the similar beginning sounds, but also the salient features of letter formation in spite of different fonts and scripts. 

If you don’t have a wall to devote to the activity, create a binder divided by the letters of the alphabet and insert the words in the appropriate sections.  It’s amazing how this type of ongoing, child-driven activity can make children more aware of the words around them.  You’ll be amazed at how many words your children can already “read”.

What’s Your Function?  Utilizing functional print is another great way to fill the child’s environment with print.  Your OCD persona can rejoice as you label shelves, bins, and cupboards with their contents.  Create schedules that combine written words with pictures.  Put up signs to label rooms, exits, pet cages and aquariums, even doors and windows.  Teach children to use functional print like this to communicate with other children, as well as sign-ups to organize turn-taking.  Point out the written recipes during cooking activities and written lyrics during singing time– even when they already know the song by heart.  Anything that uses print to perform a function.  (That’s where that catchy term comes from.)  Connecting theses printed words to the words they use and the objects and ideas they are familiar with creates powerful connections.

By Any Other Name

One of the most powerful words to teach a child to recognize in print is his or her own name.  Help children to recognize their own names by using nametags, sign-in activities (even if they can’t write their own names conventionally), and cubby labels.  Label their artwork in front of them, post their names on job charts, and use their names in mystery word activities (where you write or reveal one letter at a time, causing them to recognize the difference between Ashley and Ainsley, while again seeing that words begin on the left and add on to the right).  Names are a source of pride and belonging, and children are usually highly motivated to learn to “read” them.

As you surround children with meaningful print, and engage them with it in useful ways, pointing out how words are constructed and the way print flows, children begin to learn information essential to their reading success.  When you recognize what these concepts are and how children can learn them, you can emphasize these aspects during child-centered, playful activities.  When you have prepared yourself and your environment, you can maximize the learning that can take place all around you in natural ways.

What do you do to encourage children to learn about the concepts of print?

Top photo by Terri-Ann Hanlon.

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Comments

  1. 1

    joanne Petrie says

    August 20, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    I thought your article was great and right on. I also believe parents need to be educated and write correctly – by writing correctly, I am referring to the art of letter formation. Penmanship and the teaching of letters has gone down hill. Children are not shown to write letters from top to bottom L-R (unless the student is a lefty) in all settings nor the importance of bi-lateral skills.Kids don’t even use scissors or help prepare food by chopping in the kitchen with a plastic knife. Kids are just too busy in front of the TV or computer.

    Before a child begins to write, lets do them all a favor and de-mystify what letters really are – “simply lines and curves”. I stress this in my new book, recently published by Xlibris, The Mystery of the Land of Letters”, in my Pre-K classroom, and during my handwriting support classes with first and second graders.

    If the adults in this world want children to write correctly we need to be responsible for teaching them to use their hands to build motor strength even before writing – get rid of the markers for now let the children use chalk, pencils, and crayons.

    Reply
    • 2

      notjustcute says

      August 20, 2010 at 3:11 pm

      Many great points, Joanne! We often get so focused on children writing, that we forget the foundational skills of motor control, and recognizing and being able to follow simple “lines and curves”. I’ll have to check out your book, it sounds really interesting! Thanks for sharing your expertise here!

      Reply
      • 3

        notjustcute says

        August 20, 2010 at 3:14 pm

        I just looked at your website (and realized I should have written Jo-Anne, not Joanne). Your book looks great. I love the idea of a rocket following those curves and lines. Brilliant!

        Reply
      • 4

        joanne Petrie says

        September 12, 2010 at 10:03 am

        Thank you so much! I love educating others on the subject of writing in the early years. As you can tell it is a passion of mine. I work with many children who get down on themselves, frustrated, and the extreme cases – even refuse to write saying they are “stupid”. As parents and educators many of us are in such a hurry to get kids writing that more harm than good is being taught. With this thought in mind, I am expanding on my website to include alphabet phonics/writing cards, posters, and downloads.

        When parents are in a hurry to speed up the process of writing for their children, I ask if they would rather have their house built on a stick or concrete foundation. Of course their reply is concrete. That is when I give them permission to slow down the process of writing until the children I reach/teach have the strength, understanding, and desire to write – properly.

        I am hoping these extras will be on site mid- October.
        Best,
        Jo-Anne

        Reply
  2. 5

    netc23 says

    August 22, 2010 at 12:39 pm

    read. read read read. go to library reading time when we can as I think its good for my son to have various people read to him. we practice letter recognition with a little game I’ve made where I made two sets of alphabet letters – each on a piece of paper – I put one on the floor and hold one. I give one to him at a time – and say A for Asher or G for Girl…we practice the sound of the letter and then he finds the match on the floor. this is also really nice to cheer on my son sometimes when we’ve been having a rough day. takes our mind off of everything but him achieving and me cheering.

    Reply
  3. 6

    Play says

    August 24, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    Hi

    I added the links,

    http://www.playisessential.net/prereading-skills.html
    Email me if you want something changed.

    Thanks,
    Play is Essential

    Reply
  4. 7

    joanne Petrie says

    September 12, 2010 at 11:35 am

    I did not leave my website link but here it is:
    http://www.spotandfreckleslearn.com

    Reply
    • 8

      notjustcute says

      September 13, 2010 at 5:46 am

      Thanks, Jo-Anne! I’m looking forward to checking out your new resources!

      Reply

Trackbacks

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