LITERACY/LANGUAGE: Letter Awareness

A print rich environment that allows children to practice literacy skills in real-life experiences, combined with explicit teaching of key concepts, is the foundation of literacy learning in the early years. We develop literacy by continually exposing the Cardinals to oral and written language, and by building on prior knowledge and language experiences. Read alouds, storytelling, songs, thought-provoking discussions, journals, and dramatic play are just a few of the many fun and engaging strategies we use in the Cardinals’ classroom to develop literacy.  

The Cardinals were introduced to the idea of Literacy Workshops.  As a means of adding a tactile component to practice shaping the letters of the alphabet with different materials, three stations were set up for the Cardinals.  

In the playdough station Kaya and others were encouraged to “shape” a name, not just her own but a friend’s or a teacher's name.

The same concept was applied in the alphabet stamping station were Kaya used the letter stamps to “write” a friends’ and/or teachers’ name.

And, in the final station the Cardinals were provided with wood pieces as an activity to make capital letters. These wood pieces are a component of the Handwriting Without Tears program. Without any formal introduction to the program, the children are first invited to explore the wood pieces and use them to create as many letters as they could. The four wooden pieces are the basis for teaching children the skills of creating letters.  The pieces are referred to as big line, little line, big curve, little curve. Using only these shapes, the children learn how to form letters.   

All of these activities help Kaya internalize the shape of letter, while developing motor skills but, in her mind....she's just playing!

Kaya confidently recognizes the majority of the upper case letters and can identify some of the lower case. She is able to spell her name and can identify the beginning letter of the name of some of her classmates as well as that of her sister’s, “S for Saide. Kaya is able to hear and identify rhymes and can generate her own, e.g., sit-kit, fun-cun, red-bed, hog-bog. Using the name cards, Kaya is able to practice name recognition skills.