Presenter’s Script Literacy Every Day: Ideas for Preschool Teachers and Families

 Slide 1 – Welcome participants to the workshop, and let them know that you will be talking about ways to include literacy activities for preschoolers throughout the day, at preschool and at home.  Slide 2 – Point out that the more experiences a young child has before starting school, the more background knowledge he/she brings to the classroom. If literacy experiences happen at home and at preschool, the foundation for learning will be even stronger.  Slide 3 – We often think literacy just means being able to read and write, but it also includes anything that prepares us to be readers and writers: conversations, vocabulary development, fine motor activities, and creative expression. Today’s workshop will describe 5 areas that are part of preschoolers’ literacy development.  Slide 4 – We know through research that reading aloud regularly improves future reading skills. Reading with preschoolers includes all sources of print in their environment, not just books. The goal is for them to see that reading is a useful skill to understanding the world around them.  Slide 5 – Do not surround the children with so much print that it is overwhelming or turns into wallpaper that they don’t notice. Instead, display print with a purpose: job charts, labels for shelves that help during cleanup time, etc. Writing the Morning Message in front of children and reading it as you go lets them see you model the strategies of being a reader. Letter detective should be developmentally appropriate for all skill levels: if they haven’t learned any letter names/sounds yet, encourage them to find something in the room that they like, and comment to them what letter/sound the item starts with.  Slide 6 – We want families to show their children that reading is a useful skill for everyday life. When they model reading the print around them, they are doing this. Make sure to point out that families shouldn’t let reading the billboards in the car distract them from watching the road while driving.  Slide 7 – Each child in the classroom doesn’t have to learn 2 different words from everyone else; teachers should be introducing 2 new words each day to the class as a whole. Children’s books are a great source of unusual words. Learning how to take turns speaking and listening is valuable to both literacy and social development.  Slide 8 – Research shows that most of the teacher’s talk is either giving instructions (line up at the door to go outside) or correcting discipline issues (use your words instead of hitting). Very little time is spent having a back-and-forth conversation with children. Conversations should include at least 4 back-and- forth segments (teacher’s question + child’s response = 1 segment). Since it is time-consuming to do this with each child separately, circle time is a great opportunity to do this.  Slide 9 – Encourage family members to have conversations with their children during other activities, like waiting for the laundry to dry at the Laundromat. Let them know that their children may be hesitant at first if this is something new. Using puppets or walkie-talkies can make the conversation more of a game and keep everyone from feeling nervous.  Slide 10 – Looking at unusual and interesting items in the environment is included in preschool literacy because it allows for discussion and the use of new vocabulary words to describe the items.  Slide 11 – Instead of putting the documentation panels in the halls, post them in the classroom at the children’s eye level and encourage them to talk about the photos. Teach the children how to be careful with the beautiful items you bring in for them to observe.  Slide 12 – Make sure families understand that they don’t have to spend money to visit a museum to look at interesting items; there are so many things to talk about in the home environment, like old family photos or the illustrations in the books they are reading. Some children’s books tell a completely different story in the pictures.  Slide 13 – Creative expression is important for developing self-confidence and critical thinking skills, and it also provides fine motor opportunities that will help with writing.  Slide 14 – Point out that the materials in the art center need to be working and ready for children to use – the markers shouldn’t be out of ink, and there should be plenty of paper and tools available. Clay is not as commonly used in the classroom as play dough, but it provides more exercise for the small muscles in fingers and hands.  Slide 15 – Encourage families to keep simple art supplies available and teach children how to clean up after themselves so that mess does not become an issue.  Slide 16 – Brain research has shown us that the brain is pattern-seeking and looking for connections, so if we introduce all the different parts of literacy at once, learning is going to be stronger.  Slide 17 – By including writing supplies in all learning centers, teachers can bring literacy opportunities to the children who are not interested in the writing center. The block center could include graph paper and pencils to design structures before building them, and the home living center could include menus, order pads, and pens for playing restaurant.  Slide 18 – The goal is for families to show their children that writing is useful and something we use every day, so that they will be encouraged to be lifelong writers. If families include children in their daily writing activities, they will get this message.  Slide 19 – This activity is just like regular I Spy, but focusing on print. Make sure to point out to families not to let the game distract them from the road when they are driving.  Slide 20 – Families and teachers can make up their own story prompts, or use the example given. Stories can be as long or as short as needed – when you want to end the story, instead of saying “and then what happened” say “the end”.  Slide 21 – Encourage families and teachers to ask follow-up questions to get children to provide more detailed information, not just one-word answers.  Slide 22 – Time is an abstract concept for young children, so families and teachers may have to list several choices of things that happened today and things that will happen tomorrow and let the children choose what to draw that way.  Slide 23 – Point out to families that this activity may help with grocery store behavior problems by giving children something to do during the shopping, which may distract them from trying to put candy in the buggy, etc.  Slide 24 – Resources for more literacy ideas in the classroom and at home.