Give simple directions for the children to follow. “Please hang up your coats and then sit down on the carpet to listen to a story.” Encourage them to listen to the directions the first time and praise them when they do so.
Listening to directions helps the children build their early literacy skills. They begin to model your language patterns and begin to understand common language rules. Once successful, the children will experience an increase in self-confidence.
Take pictures of the children doing everyday things, such as playing outside or setting the table for lunch. Write simple text to go along with the pictures and turn the pages into books. Place the books into the class library and let the children enjoy reading them.
Children will enjoy building their literacy skills by reading a book about themselves. They will improve their concepts of print. Seeing pictures of themselves will build their self-confidence and self-esteem.
Set up a Writing Center. Add different types of paper and media for writing – pencils, markers, and crayons. Encourage the children to visit the center to write stories. When they complete a story, ask them to tell you what the story says and write the text for them. Encourage them to share their stories with family, friends, and other visitors.
Using different writing tools will build the children’s pre-writing skills. They will learn that their ideas can be turned into words. They will feel proud and want to share their stories with other children and adults.