ChildrenChildren’’s Literacys LiteracyLearning all about Literacy in relation to the Preschool Child…

Definition: Definition: LiteracyLiteracy

All activities involved in speaking, listening, reading, writing.

Reading: Reading: Vocabulary Vocabulary

Words & Words & ExamplesExamples

Definition: Definition: Pretend ReadingPretend Reading

Children’s attempts to “read” a book before they have learned to read

Examples of Pretend Examples of Pretend Reading….Reading….

Claudia is pretending to read a story to Nicholas.

Pretending to read a book. She uses pictures as a way to tell the story.

It is Important for Children to Know How Books Work:

1.1. Show a book to the child and talk Show a book to the child and talk about what a book is about what a book is

2.2. Show how the book is read (front to Show how the book is read (front to back, left to right) back, left to right)

3.3. Point to the title of the book & and Point to the title of the book & and tell them it is used to tell you what tell them it is used to tell you what the book is aboutthe book is about

4.4. Explain to child that books are made Explain to child that books are made up of wordsup of words

Definition: Definition: Emergent ReadingEmergent Reading

View that literacy learning begins at birth and is encouraged through participation with adults in meaningful reading and writing activities

Examples of Examples of Emergent Reading….Emergent Reading….

Carson (4 ½ years old) is reading to Alek (4 years

old).

Carson is reading a book to the teacher

Definition: Definition: Letter KnowledgeLetter Knowledge

The ability to identify letters of the alphabet

Examples of Letter Examples of Letter Knowledge….Knowledge….

Galen and Aaron are completing an Alphabet Puzzle.

Celeste is making a name bracelet. She is looking for the

letters in her name.

Examples of Letter Examples of Letter Knowledge….Knowledge….

Mischa is writing her name with ABC sponges. On the floor the sponges are in Alphabetic order

Emily had to search through all of the ABC sponges to find the

letters in her name.

Definition: Definition: Alphabetic Alphabetic KnowledgeKnowledge

Knowing the names and shapes of the letters of the alphabet

Examples of Examples of Alphabetic Alphabetic

Knowledge….Knowledge….

The teacher is modeling for Abigail on how to write the letters in her name. She is copying

them down on her own wipe board.

Definition: Definition: Read AloudRead Aloud

When an adult reads a book that is too advanced for a child to read

Children can also read aloud….

Examples of Reading Examples of Reading Aloud….Aloud….

The teacher is reading the book “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” aloud, while the preschoolers put pictures on the

flannel board

Examples of Examples of Preschoolers Reading Preschoolers Reading

Aloud….Aloud….

The teacher is reading the book “Chicka Chicka, Boom Boom!”

aloud

I am reading a book Abigail made to all of the preschoolers at circle

time

Writing: Writing: Vocabulary Vocabulary

Words & Words & ExamplesExamples

Definition: Definition: Experimental Experimental WritingWriting

Efforts by young children to experiment with writing by creating pretend and real letters

Examples of Experimental Writing:

Hannah writing letters in her cornmeal

A card all of the preschool students were signing. Some could write out their name, others invented letters to write for their name.

Examples of Experimental Writing:

Carson is looking at a word cube to find words to write for his story.

Aaron is writing letters on a chalk board.

Definition: Definition: Invented SpellingInvented Spelling

Spelling that results when young children use what they know about letters and sounds to write

EXAMPLE “I can read” spelled as “I kn rd”

Examples of Invented Spelling:

Syrah is writing, “Happy Valentine’s Day” on her card.

Syrah’s finished card with the words “SAZVWEPR0BFQU”

What Preschool Children Like In Books …

• Books about children that look and live Books about children that look and live like themlike them

• Simple science books about things and Simple science books about things and how they work- like garbage trucks, how they work- like garbage trucks, flowers, or toolsflowers, or tools

• Books about things in which they have Books about things in which they have special interest in such as trains or special interest in such as trains or animalsanimals

• Books about making friends Books about making friends

Types of Types of BooksBooks

Definition: Definition: Alphabet BooksAlphabet Books

Used to aid children in learning the upper and lower case alphabet letters.

Definition: Definition:

Counting BooksCounting BooksEach page presents one number and shows a corresponding number of items

Definition: Definition: Concept BooksConcept Books

Teach particular concepts that children need to know in order to succeed in school (colors, opposites

Definition: Definition: Nursery RhymesNursery Rhymes

Contain rhymes and repeated verses.

Appeals to children because rhymes are easily remembered and recited.

Definition: Definition: Board BooksBoard Books

Made of heavy cardboard, has round corners, plastic surface, is small in size, and features few items per page

Definition: Definition: Manipulative BooksManipulative Books

Provides hand-eye practice.

Children are involved throughout the book, such as lifting flaps.

Definition: Definition: Traditional LiteratureTraditional Literature

Includes fairy tales, folktales, fables, myths, and legends from around the world and across the ages of time.

Definition: Definition: Wordless BooksWordless Books

Stories are presented with pictures and no text.

Provides children the opportunity to tell stories, through this they develop language skills

Definition: Definition: Stories of Everyday LifeStories of Everyday Life

Address the common concerns of young children, such as dealing with children’s bedtime worries.

Definition: Definition: Predictable BooksPredictable Books

Books that have repetitive patterns and make use of repeated phrases

Definition: Definition: Big BooksBig Books

Oversized books that allow for the sharing of print and illustrations with children

Good for group reading at large group/circle time

How Can We Support How Can We Support Literacy with Literacy with Preschoolers?Preschoolers?• Read, Talk, and Sing!!Read, Talk, and Sing!!

• Allow children to experience and interact with booksAllow children to experience and interact with books• Provide a Provide a ““Cozy or QuietCozy or Quiet”” space with easy access to space with easy access to

booksbooks• Provide a variety of books for children that relate to their Provide a variety of books for children that relate to their

interestsinterests• Provide books which can be enjoyed by different ages & Provide books which can be enjoyed by different ages &

levels of developmentlevels of development• Model your own love of booksModel your own love of books• Encourage and acknowledge any attempts at Literacy!Encourage and acknowledge any attempts at Literacy!