Literacy Training

Context:

Even before children learn to read, they need a firm understanding of how the world of print works. Children who have plenty of experiences with books and printed material understand concepts of print. Others without such experiences may lack such understanding.

Goals:

• To explore the different concepts of print
• To understand how to talk with children about the concepts
• To model a typical session with young children

Materials/Preparation:

Simple, easy-to-read books

Activity:

Concepts of print is a global term that includes concepts related to conventions, purpose, and functions of print. As we work with young children, we can help them develop an understanding of the following concepts:

• The purpose of print – that it carries meaning
• The different forms of print – signs, newspapers, books, etc.
• The relationship between print and the spoken word
• How to hold a book and turn pages one at a time
• How stories work – many have a beginning, middle, and end
• The concept of a word and word boundaries
• The difference between a word and a letter
• The parts of a book – front cover, back cover, title page, etc.
• Directionality – how to read left to right, top to bottom

Talk with tutors about "thinking aloud" as they read with children. "Thinking aloud" is an effective teaching strategy. For example, the tutor might say, "The cover of the book gives me a lot of good information about the story. It tells me the title and who wrote the story and drew the pictures. Remembering the title of the book will help me better understand the story as I read." Ask a tutor to volunteer to model reading with a child using a "think aloud" teaching strategy.

Key Questions and Points to Remember:

Ask tutors for their ideas about how to help children develop knowledge about the following concepts:

• Directionality and where we start reading
• The parts of a book
• The difference between a letter, word, and sentence