Thursday's Teaching Word: Print Awareness

{Click Here} to see a video clip of how parents can raise print awareness

Print Awareness can occur as early as 18 months of age.

Children will imitate or pretend to read. The book may be upside down, they may turn the pages the "wrong way", and they may use a "reading voice" while pretending. Gradually, the children will hold the book properly, turn the pages one at a time, and even run their fingers along the print as though they were reading it.

Parents and caregivers can help develop print awareness by:

•Run a finger under the words as they are read

•Call attention to signs and print on the road, at the store, in restaurants

•Write messages to your children to show that print is useful and carries meaning

•The symbols on a page are called letters; when all together, they are called words; and words have meaning

•The series of words on the front of a book is the title and, likely, the name of the author and illustrator

•A book has a front and a back, a top and a bottom

•Show how we turn the pages of the book from right to left, but we read the words from left to right.

•We start at the top of the page (or paragraph) when reading

•We read the words in a book (rather than "reading" the pictures)

Happy Reading!