You know those words and symbols we see all around us every day, like on signs, food packages, and even our favorite t-shirts? That’s called environmental print, and it’s an early tool in helping little ones learn to read and write!
From a very young age, kids are like little detectives, noticing these familiar signs and logos. It’s one of the first ways they learn about words and letters, even before they start school! Recognizing the “golden arches” of McDonald’s or the big red “Target” sign helps them understand that these symbols have special meanings.
As they get older and start to play with those alphabet blocks, they begin to connect those letters with the environmental print they see around them. So, that McDonald’s sign becomes M-C-D-O-N-A-L-D-S! This connection helps them learn new words and understand what they mean, building a strong foundation for reading and writing.
Marie Clay, a renowned expert on how kids learn to read, says that environmental print is “the print of everyday life.” Environmental print is made of the words and symbols that kids see in their homes, neighborhoods, and communities. Clay believes it’s critical for kids to be surrounded by lots of different types of print to maximize learning and growth opportunities.
In the same vein as Clay, researcher Lev Vygotsky contends that talking and interacting with others helps kids learn language and literacy skills. So, when grown-ups chat with little ones about the environmental print they see – like pointing out the letters in the grocery store or reading a street sign together – it helps those kiddos connect the dots between words and their meanings.
So, there you have it! Environmental print and vocabulary are like the dynamic duo of early literacy. By surrounding our little ones with lots of print and chatting with them about it, we’re giving them the superpowers they need to become amazing readers and writers!
Learn More:
- “How Children Learn to Read: Typical Reading Development,” Reading Rockets, https://www.readingrockets.org/reading-101/how-children-learn-read/typical-reading-development
- “Literacy-Rich Environments: Self-Guided Module,” Center for Early Literacy Learning, https://earlyliteracylearning.org/ta_pdf/SelfGuided_Module_LRE.pdf
Citations:
- Clay, M. M. (2001). Change over time in children’s literacy development. Heinemann.
- Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
