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


December 2006 | 160 pages | Corwin

From billboards to lunch boxes, environmental print offers a powerful springboard to literacy!

While learning to read and write takes time, there are effective ways to tap into what children already know and to use that information to jump start the literacy process. One way is through environmental print (EP), the print that surrounds children in their daily lives.

Integrating Environmental Print Across the Curriculum, PreK–3, provides a wealth of activities that build literacy skills during time devoted to language arts, math, science, social studies, art, and dramatic play. Highlighting research from the National Reading Panel, the authors demonstrate that by activating prior knowledge and creating opportunities for authentic learning, EP is an effective tool in developing the early literacy skills of all children, including English language learners and those at risk for, or identified with, special needs. Each activity specifies grade range, materials, and instructions to help you:

  • Meet the goals of Early Reading First and Reading First
  • Assess children's ability levels in performing the activity
  • Strengthen concepts with related literature and songs
  • Communicate ways that parents can use EP with their children

This friendly, research-based book is designed to assist you in creating an environmental print program that promotes the development of strong literacy skills for every child!


 
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

"Having children bring in environmental print items with which they have had experiences gives them a feeling of ownership in learning to read. They share their experiences and these experiences, in turn, have a profound effect on their literacy development."

From the Introduction

"With built-in performance ratings per activity, teachers will find this a key to meeting reading goals and assessing and strengthening a child's ability levels."

California Bookwatch, March 2007
Key features
  • Offers foundational (Clay, Goodman) and recent (Vukelich, Schickedanz, Burns, Snow) research to support the use of environmental print in developing children's early literacy.
  • Provides a wealth of environmental print activities to use in teaching language arts, math, health, science, social studies, art, music, and dramatic play.
  • Each activity specifies goals/literacy skills, materials, instructions, variations and extensions, assessment practices, as well as related literature and songs to strengthen concepts
  • Includes suggestions for getting parents involved in using environmental print with their children
  • Resources include an environmental print book list and a sample letter to parents

 

 

For instructors

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