Integrating Environmental Print Across the Curriculum, Prek-3: Making Literacy Instruction Meaningful

While learning to read and write takes time, there are effective ways to tap into what children already know and use that information to jump start the literacy process. One is through environmental print, the print that surrounds children in their natural environments, from billboards to lunch boxes. This handy and engaging book of environmental print (EP) activities brings in research from the National Reading Panel to support the use of EP across the curriculum in early childhood classrooms. Where relevant, the authors indicate how the activities meet the goals of both Early Reading First and Reading First. The research and activities in the book supply teachers with an understanding of the importance of using EP to promote literacy learning, and a jumping off point for effectively using EP right away. This book offers educators: Foundational (Clay, Goodman) and recent (Vukelich, Schickedanz, Burns, Snow) research to support the use of environmental print in developing children's early literacy. A wealth of environmental print activities for teaching language arts, math, health, science, social studies, art, music, and dramatic play. Activities that specify goals/literacy skills, materials, instructions, variations and extensions, assessment practices, as well as related literature and songs to strengthen concepts Suggestions for showing parents how to use environmental print with their children An environmental print book list and a sample letter to parents Lynn Kirkland is associate professor of early childhood education at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She also directs the UAB Children's Creative Learning Center's summer enrichment program for children. Kirkland has published numerous articles on early childhood and literacy development, and is co-author of Connectors: Content Area Studies in Early Childhood published by the Association for Childhood Education International. Acknowledgments About the Authors Introduction 1. What We Know About Environmental Print and Young Children The Conceptual Framework for Using Environmental Print What We Know About Early Literacy Research on Environmental Print Environmental Print and Children With Special Needs Environmental Print and No Child Left Behind Summary of the Research Findings on Environmental Print Appropriate Ways to Use Environmental Print Throughout the Curriculum 2. Language Arts Activities Daily News Posters and Signs Dictionaries Writing Experiences Literacy Across Thematic Units Rebus Stories Wall Lists and Bulletin Boards Pocket Charts Text Innovations Word Boxes Book Boxes Newspaper Ad Word Search Recipes Lunchboxes Billboards Alphabet Scavenger Hunt Environmental Print Walk Restaurant Menus Alphabet Wall/Community Alphabet Alphabet Books Reading Inside the Box 3. Math Activities Puzzles Coupons Graphs Math Games Math in an Integrated Curriculum M & M's Math Newspaper Ads Food Labels Enlarged Class Texts Lists Grocery Store Surveys Food Groups 4. Health and Science Activities Making Flavored Milk Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches Making M & M's Coookies Making Chicken or Vegetable Stew Making Pizza Making Pancakes Pretend Shopping Real Shopping Good Food Versus Junk Food Snacks--How Good Are They? Where Does Food Go? Pretend Restaurant Matching Toothpaste Planting Seeds Using Cardboard Containers Weather Symbols Going on a Picnic 5. Social Studies Activities Using the Newspaper Postcard Travel Mapping the Community Community Helpers Transportation Schedules Home Sales and Rentals Environmental Print Graphs and Elections Careers and Environmental Print Social Studies "Me Books" and Journals Culturally Diverse Environmental Print 6. Creative Dramatics, Music, and Art Activities Art Collage Studying Artists Neighborhood Mural Me Boxes and "Myself" Delivery Vehicles MUSIC--Songs for Commercials Creative Dramatics--"Centers" Stage Musical Instrument Time Can You Make a Puppet? 7. Meeting the Goals of the National Reading Panel Through Environmental Print Activities Phonemic Awareness Activity: Starts Like... Phonics Activity: Blended Environmental Print Fluency Activity: Speedy Shopping List Vocabulary Activity: What Goes With This? Comprehension Activity: Where Do You Find It? Conclusion: Challenges and Opportunities in Using Environmental Print Reflective Teaching Transformational Teaching Resources Resource A. Environmental Print Book List Resource B. Sample Letter to Parents References