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Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Creating a Print Rich Enviroment for your Preschooler

Some items in our house for a print rich environment include:
  • Familiar books children can “read’ from memory
  • Kid Picture Dictionaries
  • Word Wall near paper and pencil (the children an copy) Use this wall to display from the unit you are learning about or things that truly interest your children. It doesn't have to be fancy, just legible kid friendly words & pictures.
  • Reading area with soft pillow and basket of familiar books
  • Books on CD
  • functional print labels

Functional Print

Functional Print gives your child a reason to read and is a wonderful addition to a print rich environment. What better reason to read than to find than to find their new Iron-man toy? Providing a picture along with the print also attaches meaning for your child to those "squiggly lines" you call letters. Functional Print really helps with responsibly as your child learns everything has a place when they cleanup.
Drawer labels are especially important to one of my sons, who are fiercely independent. He loves to know which drawer has what so that he can pick out his own clothes and help mommy with laundry. My suggestion for font is Comic Sans. It resembles the handwriting your child will mostly likely use the most. And my labels are NOT fancy. They are just printed on normal paper and stuck on with Scotch tape. I used contact paper on the draws because i knew they would be more permanent. Don't get caught up in feeling like it has to be pretty, just worry that your child can read it and understand.

PARENTING HINT: This is also a wonderful way to make sure laundry gets put back into the right drawers…even if it;s your spouse you are trying to direct ;)

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