Strategy 5: Teach print and book awareness
What to do
- Point out literacy behaviors as you engage in them
- Locate examples of print at home, at school and in the community and take child to where he/she can see/touch them
- Talk about front/back, top/bottom, open/close during book handling
- Allow child to scribble, stamp, finger paint, use stickers or alternative pencils
- Label objects at home and in the classroom using a variety of forms (objects, partial objects, pictures, tactile representations, print, braille)
- Match pictures to words
- Allow child access to books throughout the day
- Visit a library or bookstore and/or introduce the child to a keyboard, iPad or Kindle
- Use "big books" at home or in the classroom
Things to consider
- Are you introducing children to a variety of forms of print?
- Are you signing as well as speaking?
- Is there a way for children to access books on their own (if not mobile)?
- Are you presenting the materials in a consistent manner each time you give them to the child?
Always Ask Yourself
