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Prepare Children for Pre-K and Kindergarten

Recipe for Readiness Part 3: Book Awareness and Print Concepts

July 24, 2023

by: Diane Craig and Vicki Marvy

4 mins

 

Whether you are a teacher or summer program instructor, now is a great time to get children ready for school with high-impact, high-fun activities. Join us for the full menu on early literacy readiness skills. In this five-part blog series, we provide Recipes for Readiness addressing:  

  • Language Development 
  • Phonological and Phonemic Awareness 
  • Book Awareness and Print Concepts 
  • Alphabet Knowledge and Beginning Phonics 
  • Writing and Drawing 

In this blog, we cook up fun around book awareness and print concepts.  

Remember to...

Model: All people learn by seeing something demonstrated, doing it together with help, and practicing it independently until confident. Just like talking, walking, and riding a bicycle, the same is true for learning to read and write!

Make time: 60–90 minutes throughout the day, depending on the child's stamina.

Download Full Recipe Card

What is Book Awareness?

It’s all about understanding how a book works: 

  • Front and back of a book 
  • Turning pages 
  • Illustrations telling a story 
  • Print carrying the message 
  • Reading left to right  
  • Reading top to bottom 
  • Knowing the difference between a letter and a word 
  • Beginning and end of a word (first letter, last letter) 
  • Knowing letters make words 

Tips for Book Awareness and Print Concept Success

Introduce print concepts with a light touch. For example, as children watch you read aloud a simple, patterned text, you might point out the pattern. Or the author’s use of a basic, high-utility word like “I” or other words you know the child has encountered often in previous listening and shared reading experiences. 

Book Awareness Activities to Try

Book Time

Read a book together while pointing under words to model directionality. Point out some of the interesting things about it: 

“There’s a question mark. Let’s read it with a question voice.” 

“That’s an exclamation point, so I will sound excited when I read it.” 

“Look at this word. It’s in a speech bubble.” 

“Oh, look at the picture of the turtle. How do you think it’s feeling right now?” 

Words in Our World

While riding in the car or on a bus, point out signs, logos, and other common words in the environment. 

Clap & Cheer! 

Say a word. Clap the letters in the word. Cheer the word! 

“Stop.” — “S-T-O-P” — “Stop!” 

“Danté.” — “D-A-N-T-E” — “Danté!”

Resources for Awareness and Print Concept

Books:

  • How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander 

  • Elephant and Piggie books by Mo Willems, such as We Are In A Book 

  • The Alphabet Tree by Leo Lionni 

Songs and Chants:

  • The Parts of a Book by Scratch Garden (Youtube

Poems and Rhymes:

  • My Favorite Word by Lucia & James L. Hymes Jr.

 

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