Early Literacy in Action: Print Awareness

Encouraging a love of reading in your child

Early Literacy in Action: Print Awareness

Presenter: Kelsie Nygren, Library Assistant II

Main Library

A Workshop Presented By The Children’s Department

Of The Abilene Public Library

February 12, 2015Abilene, Texas

What in the world is Print Awareness?

• The next step after print motivation.

• Includes knowing that print has meaning, knowing how to handle a book, and noticing print all around you.

• Handling a book includes knowing how to hold it, knowing the cover/back, and knowing it is read left to right.

• Also includes following words on the page.

How do you develop print awareness?

• Point out the author and illustrator before you read

• Use your voice to match the size of print

• Share different shapes, sizes, and colors of words

How do you develop print awareness?

• Track words sometimes

when you read.

• Find words everywhere and

read them – signs are

perfect!

• Get board books that your baby can handle.

• Let your toddler turn the pages.

Why should we care about print awareness?

• Children must become aware of words before they can read

them

• They should understand that words and pictures work

together to tell the story

• When children feel comfortable with how a book works, they

can concentrate on the story

• These are simple skills, but they are not intuitive.

How can I encourage this?

• Point to simple or repeating

words and encourage your child

to say the words with you.

• This helps your child understand

that you are reading the words,

not just the pictures.

• This works really well with

favorite books that you read over

and over again.

What does this mean for me?

• Print awareness can be applied daily at libraries, schools, and

daycares

• Any storytime utilizes print awareness foundations

– Having the child watch you read

– Following words on the page

– Being able to point out repeating phrases and words

How can I apply this to

my work?

• Encourage interactive storytime. Have children follow along by

engaging them with the illustrations and text, asking questions

that go beyond “yes” or “no.”

• Use flannel boards to act out the story differently – nursery

rhymes and folktales are familiar, and will help children develop a

story building process.

Great Read-Aloud Books

• Peek-a-Moo by Marie Torres Cimarusti

• Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean

• Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

• Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin

• We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen

• Leonardo the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems

More Great Read-Alouds

• Ten in the Den by John Butler

• The Very Busy Spider by Eric Carle

• Any Dr. Seuss book!

• Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

• Where is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox

• Little Red Hen by Jerry Pinkney

• Knock Knock by Anna-Clara Tidholm

Crafty links to encourage print awareness

• http://www.rockabyebutterfly.com/2012/03/alphabet-review.html

• http://www.sheknows.com/kids-activity-center/print/flashcards-a-b

Alphabet Book Craft

• As children begin to learn to read, one of the first things they learn is the alphabet.

• Knowing what the letters look like, and understanding what words start with which letter is the first stepping stone.

This craft can be used as a take home to give to parents, or can be implemented in storytimes by using it as a flannel board.

Bibliography• Davis, Robin Works. Toddle On Over: Developing Infant & Toddler Literature

Programs. Fort Atkinson: Alleyside Press, 1998.

• Ernst, Linda L. Baby Rhyming Time. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2008.

• Ernst, Linda L. Lapsit Services for the Very Young II. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2001.

• Ghoting, Saroj Nadkarni and Pamela Martin-Diaz. Early Literacy Storytimes @ Your Library. Chicago: American Library Association, 2006

• Ghoting, Saroj Nadkarni and Kathy Fling Klatt. STEP into Storytime. Chicago: American Library Association, 2014.

• Maddigan, Beth and Stefanie Drennan. The Big Book of Stories, Songs, and Sing-Alongs. Westport: Libraries Unlimited, 2003.

• Marin, Jane. Babies in the Library! Lanham: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2003.

• Nichols, Judy. Storytime for Two-Year-Olds. Chicago: American Library Association, 2007.