Print Awareness is another of the six early literacy skills necessary for your child to have in order to be ready to learn to read. Print Awareness is noticing print everywhere, knowing how to handle a book and knowing how to follow the words on a page.
Before children can learn to read, they must first understand how a book works. They need to know that books have covers, front and back; to recognize when a book is right side up or upside down. They also need to know that in English, you read from the top of the page down and from left to right. Children must become aware of words before they can read them and 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 you help?
- Start your baby out with age appropriate books that he can handle without hurting himself. Look for soft, padded books, or board books with rounded corners.
- Let him explore the book with all his senses, including his mouth. (Though we prefer that your child not chew on library books, it is important that they be allowed to investigate. Make sure he has some books of his own that he is allowed to chew on.)
- When he is ready to pay attention to the content, point to the pictures and words in the book, saying the words and making appropriate sounds. Only do a few at a time. Very young children don’t always have the attention span to listen to an entire book.
- As your child grows, let him turn the pages of the book as you read to him.
- 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.
- Point to signs and other words around you and read what they say. Even very young children can learn simple words when they are pointed out often.
- From time to time, hold a book up-side-down before beginning to read to see if your child notices and corrects you.
- Help your child make a book. Talk about the different parts (cover, words, pictures, beginning, middle and end) as you make it. The book can be as simple as sheets of paper folded in half and stapled or tied with yarn, with drawn or cut out pictures pasted in it. When you write words in the book or on the cover, say the words as you write them. Encourage your child to read the book to you.
- Point out print wherever you find it, from recipes in the kitchen, to menus, shopping lists and street signs. Play word recognition games when you are out and about in the car.
Children learn best by doing things, and they love doing things with you. Being familiar with printed language helps children feel comfortable with books and understand that print is useful.
Published on June 1, 2012.
Back to News