Discussions Regarding the Preschool Observation Checklist and Evaluation Tool (POCET)

Monday, October 27, 2008

Laying the Groundwork for Literacy Success

In Preschool Activity QuickSource®, we learn that "Literacy begins by immersing children in literacy-rich environments and fostering a love of language and reading. You can support young children's emerging literacy skills by planning activities that involve discriminating sounds, identifying print, recognizing letters, developing a love of books, writing, and appreciating the rhythm of language."

At the core of literacy development, children first learn to identify sounds associated with letters, then, letter combinations associated with written words. Be sure to engage early learners in activities that focus on sounds. Here's one to try, Environmental Sounds, that correlates to POCET™ Developmental Guideline: LT1 Identifies Sounds in the Environment and in Speech.

Before you start the activity, make sure you have comfortable shoes and clothing for each child, and anything else you might need for a walking field trip. Also, you might want to have walking rope on hand, and to further reinforce learning, consider the Outside Sounds Listening Lotto Game.

Let's Get Started:

1. Prepare for a walking field trip, either around the neighborhood or to a local park.

2. As the children are walking during the field trip, ask them to identify any sounds that they hear during the field trip. Encourage the children to be alert to any sound they hear while on the field trip.

3. Sounds that might occur during a walking field trip might include: cars, trucks, buses, trains or planes in some areas, birds, children stepping, people talking/laughing, etc.

Find more activities like these at www.TeacherQuickSource.com and help early learners build the foundation for literacy success.