EARLY LITERACY 2
EARLY LITERACY FOUNDATION BLOCKS
Early Literacy Block: Oral Language
Description Oral Language is the ability to communicate by listening and using spoken words.
Young children gain oral expression skills by talking about their experiences, as well
as their ideas. The more meaningful conversations that a young child has with peers
and adults the more they can expand their oral expression skills.
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Sample
Activity and
Instructions
Retelling a story- If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Materials: mouse mask, cookies, milk, straw, mirror, milk moustache, headband (with
hair), little scissors, broom, bed- box & fabric, book, paper & crayons, cardboard
refrigerator with “magnetic” clip, scripts for two or three people- word & picture
Students can use the props to retell the book in a “play” like setting. Students can use
the provided scripts or make their own.
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Contextual
Analysis
By having students retell a story, they are given the opportunity to use vocabulary
words in an appropriate way. This gives them a context of how the words would be
used when spoken. As students work with their partner(s), they practice their
communication skills. Students with minimal communication skills would get
assistance from an adult or another peer to facilitate the oral expression. This activity
helps students who are struggling or have a disability to comprehend the story on a
deeper level than just hearing it – by allowing multimodal manipulation of the story.
Thus, allowing them to talk about the story in a more meaningful way.
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Early Literacy Block: Vocabulary
Description Vocabulary consists of the words that we learn and understand (the meaning of) to
converse with others. Building a large word inventory allows young children to convey
their experiences and desires. The development of vocabulary allows children to hold
more meaningful conversations (new ideas and concepts) with adults and peers.
EARLY LITERACY 3
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Sample
Activity and
Instructions
Teacher will introduce the dramatic play center after reading a book about pizza.
Students will use: pizza props, Restaurant props, menus, order tickets, how to build
cards, and vocabulary list(s). All items in the center will be labeled or be on a posted
list(s). Students will use the props to engage in conversations that expand their
vocabulary. Students practice ordering food and taking orders. Teacher should use
open ended questions when asking students about past experiences.
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Contextual
Analysis
Dramatic play based on theme allows students to practice using vocabulary with
context. This time allows for free conversations and acting out past experiences of
getting pizza. By requiring students to communicate their wants and needs from the
prospective of their character, it motivates the students to use the desired vocabulary.
By providing vocabulary lists and props it provides support to the struggling learners
that need additional support. Teachers should provide support to students and should
ask open ended questions to elicit responses that use the vocabulary.
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Early Literacy Block: Phonological Awareness
Description Phonological awareness involves the sounds that make up our spoken language and the
ability to manipulate the different units of sounds in a variety of ways. Research has
tied phonological awareness to how quick a child can learn to read. Educators can help
refine these skills by doing word play- Initial sounds, rhyming, blending and/or
segmenting.
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EARLY LITERACY 4
Sample
Activity and
Instructions
Beginning sound sorts
The educator will have pictures selected beginning sound pictures. The educator should
select several pictures for the “not /_/” category.
The educator should help the students sort the items by the beginning sounds and not
the beginning sound. Once all the pictures have been matched ask students if there are
any other words, they can think of that starts with that beginning sound.
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Contextual
Analysis
When an educator has students work with sound sorts, they are helping the student
recognize the sounds that they are hearing. Some students will pick up these skills
naturally. Struggling learners will need more explicit and direct teaching such as sound
sorts. This helps students with being able to isolate, blend, manipulate and delete
sounds in each word. These all-help students solidify the alphabetic principle.
Phonological awareness skills are vital for students when beginning to read.
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Early Literacy Block: Letter Recognition
Description Letter knowledge consists of recognizing the letters in the alphabet and their
corresponding sound(s). Young children begin to connect that the letters make up
words and that we read the collections of sounds we speak. Young children should be
familiar with how to build each letter. Along with phonological awareness, letter
knowledge helps students “crack” the alphabetic code.
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EARLY LITERACY 5
Sample
Activity and
Instructions
Alphabet Stew- Place alphabet magnetic letters in a pot. Use the recipe cards to know
which letter(s) to find. Use the “magnetic spoon” to stir the pot. Students will sing the
“letter stew” song. Pull the spoon out and look to see if the letter matches. If it does say
the letter name and place it on the letter chart.
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Contextual
Analysis
The teacher can have the students match by letter shapes and lines, uppercase,
lowercase, or a mix- based on student’s levels. This letter knowledge activity allows
the students to use a hands-on active way to practice identifying letters. This activity
can be used for letter sound recognition as well. By using both oral and written letters,
the students are practicing both expressive and receptive letter knowledge. This activity
brings movement and song which can help struggling learners. This activity is great in
pairs or small groups of students. If a student needs additional support a peer mentor
can be effective.
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Early Literacy Block: Print Awareness
Description Print awareness comes when a young learning discovers that words can be read to
provide meaning. Book awareness is achieved when a young learner understands that
words on a page are read from left to right and top to bottom. They can navigate
correctly through a book, from the front to the back.
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EARLY LITERACY 6
Sample
Activity and
Instructions
During a read aloud, the educator will model how to read a book. The educator should
ask question(s) to assess if students remember the part(s) or the book (front, back, etc.).
During the read aloud, the educator should prompt questions about where to start
reading on the page and which direction to continue reading. They can read the page
backwards to show how silly it sounds, then read the story correctly while pointing to
the words.
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Contextual
Analysis
When educators teach and model proper reading techniques, our students expand their
print awareness. When an educator tracks on a page, the student learns page
directionality. They also learn that each word printed has an oral word that it is
connected to. This helps make the connection that we can read the printed words to
gain knowledge and information, communicate our thoughts with others, and can help
with problem solving. Through print and book awareness, students gain concept of
word.
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Early Literacy Block: Writing
Description Young readers develop writing skills over a long period of time. When children first
realize that print conveys meaning there writing will start with scribbles and will move
towards formation of letters. Early writing will contain inventive spellings as they try
to match sounds with letters to convey the words to express their ideas and
information. As students learn letter patterns the word forms become more
recognizable.
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EARLY LITERACY 7
Sample
Activity and
Instructions
Multisensory letter writing practice.
Students will have several writing “tools” to choose from. These include shaving
cream trays, sand trays, playdoh with letter/word mats, writing mats with markers,
crayons, or colored pencils, blank and lined paper. Students will practice tracing or
writing letters or words based on their specific needs.
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Contextual
Analysis
When students are given the opportunities to practice proper form for letters and
words, it allows them to master making legible letter(s) or word(s). Formally shifting
away from scribbles and or shapes to represent the letter or word continues. By
creating legible words, students can then learn to write sentences. This leads to
students learning they can convey their wants and needs to others through writing.
Students with low fine motor skills may need more time making the letters in various
ways until they achieve the skills to write.
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References
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Name of the Periodical,
volume(issue), #–#. https://doi.org/xxxx
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Copyright Year). Title of the book (7th ed.). Publisher. DOI or
URL
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Copyright Year). Title of the book chapter. In A. A. Editor &
B. B. Editor (Eds.), Title of the book (2nd ed., pp. #–#). Publisher. DOI or URL
