Thinking Thursday: Emergent Literacy #3

Emergent Literacy #1: Print Motivation
Emergent Literacy #2: Print Awareness
Emergent Literacy #3: Letter Knowledge
Emergent Literacy #4: Vocabulary
Emergent Literacy #5: Phonological Awareness
Emergent Literacy #6: Narrative Skills

The first two pre-reading skills, print motivation and print awareness, are great for any age from babies on up. As babies grow up they are ready for more challenges and experiences which broaden their understanding and prepare them for what's yet to come. Each stage of development has a past, present and future.

• Past: The current stage is the end goal of a previous stage. Holding a fork is the end goal of developing a pincer grip.
  
• Current: Each stage is a skill itself that needs to be mastered. Using a fork to eat food.
  
• Future: Each stage is a predecessor for a stage yet to come. Holding a fork is a precursor to holding a pencil and writing.
  

Now on to…
Pre-Readng Skill #3
Letter Knowledge
Letter Knowledge means knowing that letters are different from each other, that each letter has a name and that specific sounds go with specific letters. Here are some ideas for introducing letters to your little ones.

• Highlight a letter each day or week.
  
• Letters are just complex shapes! Help little ones match the same letter on a page in a book, or a sign. Then look for it everywhere you go.
• Begin with the letters in your little ones' names. Use the starting letter first.
• Draw pictures our of the letter that start with the letter (I draw the letter S which is the first letter in Sammi's name and turn it into a snake.)
• Say the letter and then the sound and an object around the house that starts with that letter/sound. "T, tuh, toilet"
  
• Find Alphabet books at the library. Ask a librarian to help you find them. At our library they are all grouped together so it's easy to choose ones that will work for us and our current interests.

Some Alphabet Books suggested by our librarians: