1. Children Learning to Read
“Although reading and writing abilities continue to develop throughout the life span, the early childhood years – from birth through age eight – are the most important period for literacy development.”
( The joint position statement of the IRA and NAEYC, adopted 1998)
International Reading Association and National Association for the Education of Young Children
Georgia CTAE Resource Network
Instructional Resources Office
July 2009

2. Familiarize Children with Concepts of Print
Concepts of print refers to the knowledge of the functions (practical uses), structure (printed words are separated by spaces), and conventions (print is read from front to back, left-to-right, and top to bottom) of written language.

3. Our Responsibility…
“The children who make good progress in learning to read during the first grade are usually those who enter with considerable book experience under their belts.”
(From Much More than ABC’s by Juditth A. Schickendanz, NAEYC, 1999)

4. How do Children learn Language?
When they are in environments where language is used
When they have meaningful interaction with others

5. What can YOU do? Be aware of the development of the stages of writing
Share books with children
Talk about letters by name and sounds
Establish a literacy-rich environment
Re-read favorite stories
Play language games
Encourage children to experiment with writing
Have children keep journals
How can you as a preschool teacher provide an environment that fosters children’s growth in language abilities?

6. How should you select books for 3-4 year olds?
Realistic pictures
Interesting story line or plot
SHORT plot
Rhyming words
Repetitive words or phrases
Use variety – fiction, poetry, non- fiction
Beautiful language
Use stories that they are interested in or appeal to them

7. How would you select books for 4-5 year olds?
Plot can be longer, humorous, and silly.
If Children Get Restless or Bored…
Add more drama to the voices
Shorten the story
End the story immediately
Stories with a moral – Curious George
Stories about how children survive hostility – Little red Riding Hood, Hansel & Gretel
Epic Stories – passed from one generation to the next
Affective Stories – produce an emotional response – The ugly Duckling
Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Rhymes – The Pied Piper of Hamlet
Nonsense Stories

8. How do you prepare to tell a story?
Read it through – Know the story!
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Make props and visuals
Prepare vocal and facial expression
Prepare an active setting
Make it FUN!!!
Sit the children where all can see illustrations.
Make and maintain good eye contact.
Sit or stand up straight – good posture.
Voice and pronunciation should have proper volume, good intonation, clarity, and expression.
“Sound” words rather than reading them. For example, buzz becomes buzzzzzzzzz while you sound like you are buzzing.
Substitute the childrens’ names when you can do it smoothly and consistently throughout the book. Be careful not to switch names of the same character.
Be careful not to use distracting mannerisms (twirling hair, tapping foot).
Show illustrations slowly. Don’t get in a big hurry to turn the page.
The reader’s appearance should be free of large dangling jewelry, wild dress, and extreme hairstyles....(unless it is part of the props used to emphasize the theme of the story.)
Be prepared for remarks from children while you are reading. Require them to raise their hands between pages and the remarks must be about the book. They may talk about personal experiences after the book has been read.

9. How do you Begin?
Introduce the book by reading the title and showing children the front of the book.
Tell the Author and Illustrator. Define what both of those mean.
Ask the children to predict what the story will be about.
Occasionally review Use/Care of Books as well as words like “spine” of book.

10. Effective Techniques Pass hand or pointer under print as you read.
Take time to call attention to capital letters, punctuation, illustrations, author’s use of words, rhyming patterns, spelling patterns, page numbers, phonemic awareness, teach vocabulary, etc…
Ask 5 questions during/after the story (open- ended).
How many bears were in the story?
How would the bears feel when they got back home?
What would you do if you were the baby bear?
What happened when….
What might happen next?
Factual
Inferential
Applicative
Compare and Contrast
Cause and Effect
Patterns and Sequence
Predicting

11. Story Stretchers
An activity to reinforce the concept, message, or moral to a story
Stretchers extend story time and help children remember the story
Adds a “hands-on” element to story time

12. Examples… Make a collage Make a word wall with words from the story
Draw own illustrations of the story
Re-write the outcome
Act out the story
Color a picture
Create a craft

13. Helpful Websites http://www.youcanteach.com/storystretcher s.php
ans/Literature_Activities/

14. Class Books Familiarize children with concepts of print
Develop fine motor skills
Share literacy activities with families
Give children meaningful experiences with print
Pass around class books that have been created to all families to read together.
Give parents a chance to see and discuss what the child is learning in school.
Children have the opportunity to share the work that they are proud of with their families.
If possible, make enough for everyone to take one at the end of the school year.
Use this as a fundraiser and have a book auction.
Children will be interested in seeing their name and drawings in a book and becoming the author and illustrator of a book.
Creates positive interactions with books, writing, and reading.
Children will want to read the class books that are in the classroom library again and again.
They will enjoy seeing their own work as well as the work of their friends.

15. Examples…. Books about children Creative Books Alphabet Books
Counting Books
Song or Poem Books
New Knowledge Books
Names, where they live, favorite foods, favorite activity, etc…
If I were an arctic animal, I would be a ____ because ___.
Any topic you are studying can b e made into an ABC book
Roll dice or pull cards with numbers to determine which child gets what #
Make your favorite class songs and poems into books.
A way for children to share what they have learned about a new topic.