Concepts of Print

INSTRUCTION: Spelling and learning names of classmates is an excellent way to enhance literacy instruction in kindergarten. It is important for students to understand that names are words that can be written with letters (CTW, 2016). Using linking cubes with letters on them can help students practice making their own name as well as their friends.

INSTRUCTION: Introducing different kinds of print media is important in any classroom, but can be very beneficial in kindergarten and primary. Creating a classroom post office motivates students to learn different concepts of print related to postal services and writing letters. In a kindergarten classroom, creating a center related to a post office gives students the opportunities to write letters and sound out new words.

INSTRUCTION: This activity is useful in helping students understand the letters make words which create sentences. Students can read through the morning message and count the amount of words in each sentence. Students can then compare which sentence contains more words as well as explore what happens when sentences have many words and where sentences begin and end.

INSTRUCTION: This is a fun and easy way to incorporate concepts of print and spelling through art. Students can use different materials to create words and letters. This simple activity fosters a motivation for learning new letters as well as enhances phonemic awareness.

UNDERSTANDING: This article from the Reading Rockets websites provides several tips on how to incorporate print awareness during all class read alouds. Read-alouds are a critical part of an effective literacy program (CTW), therefore including some instruction on print concepts can be beneficial for students.

ASSESSMENT: To see whether or not students are ready to read, teachers can assess their ability to understand different concepts of print. Teachers can assess students one-to-one and see if students know the meaning of letters, words, sentences, punctuation, front and back of books, etc. (Reading Rockets, 2004).

INSTRUCTION: Having a word wall is a beneficial tool in relatively any elementary grade. Specifically in kindergarten and primary grades, a word wall be used as a resource for students to learn important common words and more complex words. Ensuring the word wall is easy to see and clearly organized is a vital component of ensuring it is a valuable classroom resource.

INSTRUCTION: The morning message is a great way to begin the day. Students are able to review pop corn words and practice important conventions such as reading from left to ride and top down (CTW, p. 31). Students are guided through a small morning message, and are asked to identify words they know and practice ones they are unfamiliar with. Words in blue are popcorn words, while words in black are unfamiliar words.