Environmental print is a necessary aspect of learning to read and write. It marks the beginning of recognizing words and the letters in them. Because words are everywhere, parents should use this to their advantage when they have a young child who is in the pre-alphabetic stage. When a child recognizes a word printed somewhere, it is important to ask the child if they recognize the letters in the word. Ask them what sound the letters make in the word. Can they think of another word that begins with the same letter? Can they find that same letter somewhere else in the room or in the environment? Asking these questions to young children helps them become more aware of the language that surrounds them and boosts their confidence when they answer a question correctly.
Classroom environmental print is a great way to keep students interested in learning. It is a good idea to decorate the classroom with stories or sentences that the student has written. They begin to recognize their own work and are proud to show it off. This increases the child's willingness to learn to read and write. Having a library stocked with different types of books, including ones that students have written, is a great addition of environmental print in the classroom. It keeps students interactive with print and it is good for them to see their own work. Labeling objects in a classroom such as a clock or chair is a good use of environmental print as well. When these words come up in class discussion, the teacher should point out the word and read it left to right as the class sounds it out. Having letter and word learning as a constant part of learning in the classroom is very beneficial because the students are constantly reminded that they are surrounded by print.
Classroom environmental print is a great way to keep students interested in learning. It is a good idea to decorate the classroom with stories or sentences that the student has written. They begin to recognize their own work and are proud to show it off. This increases the child's willingness to learn to read and write. Having a library stocked with different types of books, including ones that students have written, is a great addition of environmental print in the classroom. It keeps students interactive with print and it is good for them to see their own work. Labeling objects in a classroom such as a clock or chair is a good use of environmental print as well. When these words come up in class discussion, the teacher should point out the word and read it left to right as the class sounds it out. Having letter and word learning as a constant part of learning in the classroom is very beneficial because the students are constantly reminded that they are surrounded by print.
Word Walls are a great addition to the classroom. Children learn words better when they are displayed for them to look at.
This is an example of children pointing to environmental print that they brought from home and are familiar with.