To Foster print awareness:

·      Arrange your classroom so that your students will feel encouraged to interact with books and engage in writing activities1

·      Post signs and labels throughout your classroom1

·      Do interactive book readings in small groups or one-on-one1

·      Have plenty of alphabet books, rhyming books, picture books, and 3-d alphabet letters available for the children6

·      Do activity where students have to circle only capital letters4

·      Label each student’s cubby with their first and last name4

·      Label centers and furniture in the classroom4

·      Have games and materials that help students learn to print letters of the alphabet6

·      Have lots of paper, crayons, pencils, and tables for writing on accessible to the children6

·      Encourage students to scribble and experiment with pretend writing2

·      Have literacy items in centers such as play money, phone books, signs, envelopes, menus, magazines, and cards2


Supporting Research:

Encouraging writing is important because “Children begin writing even before they can from letters, and this early writing reveals children’s early attention to the conventions of written language” (van Kleeck, 1990). 8

Researchers have found that literacy materials in play areas help kids practice reading skills while using literacy in practical ways. (Chang and Yawley 1998)2