Activities for understanding print concepts

It’s Wednesday, and here at Preschool Ponderings, that means time to focus on the standards.  Every Wednesday I choose an Early Learning Standard and share a number of activities that can be aligned with that particular standard.  Remember, the Standards that I use every day, and am most comfortable with are Ohio’s Early Learning Development Standards – you can review them here, however I’ve found that even if your State’s standards differ, many of these activities can still be aligned similarly. I’ve rounded up some great ideas today!

Domain: Language and Literacy
Strand: Reading
Topic: Print concepts

Understanding print concepts simply means recognizing that letter make words, and words can be written and then read.  When a child understands print concepts they are able to point out words (though they may not know what the words say), they can hold a book the right when as they look at the pictures or share it with their friends, and they might ask what certain words say.  Here are some activities that can improve print concepts:

• Go on a word hunt – Ask the children to find words throughout the classroom, when they find a word, read it for them. 
• Start story time with your book upside down, do the children notice? Ask them why you can’t read it like that and continue a discussion about how it easier to read the words when they are right-side up. 
• Make nonsense words – encourage children to string together magnet letters to create words, then sound their words out the best that you can.
• Ask each child to bring one item from home that has writing on it.  Do a show and tell of their items.