Chapter 2: Print Navigators Study Notes

Chapter 2: Print Navigators

Introduction

  • Personal Anecdote: Author shares an observation with her coauthor Tanya Wright’s daughter at 7 months old, exhibiting early understanding of print

    • Daughter leans over during reading to preview the next page, indicating awareness of print navigation

    • Capture of the moment on video demonstrates early literacy awareness

Early Literacy Foundation

  • Common Misconception: Learning about reading and writing begins in elementary school

  • Reality: Children develop literacy foundations before elementary school that are crucial for later learning

  • Examples of Early Learning:

    • Purpose of a book is for reading

    • How to hold the book

    • How to turn the pages

    • Where to start reading

    • Directionality of reading (left to right, top to bottom)

    • Print contains words that convey meaning

Importance of Print Concepts

  • Definition: Knowledge about how print works, referred to as print concepts or print awareness

  • Development Through Interaction: Children grow their understanding of print through interactions with print in their environment and through reading with adults or older children

    • General to specific insights (from print as representation to letters and words)

Components of Print Concepts

  1. Print Represents Language

    • Understanding that print conveys auditory words (e.g., recognizing "bird" as a word used to describe flying animals)

  2. Organized Print

    • Arrangement varies by language; English reads left to right, top to bottom

    • Directionality: Importance of understanding print directionality in specific languages

    • Return Sweep: The action of picking up and starting again at the beginning of the next line, critical for comprehension

  3. Books' Structure

    • Understanding the distinction of front vs. back of a book and a proper starting page for reading

    • Commonly begins on the page labeled as page 1, varies by type of book

  4. Symbols Represent Parts of Language

    • Grouping letters into coherent words; orientation is critical (e.g., L vs. J looks different)

    • Alphabetic Principle: Relationship between letters and sounds, understanding that combinations form words in sequential order

  5. Concept of Words

    • Understanding print signifies specific words and how they are represented with spaces in between to signify word boundaries

Teaching Print Concepts

Essential Concepts to Teach

  • Print holds meaning and represents language

  • Print is authored by people

  • Print serves multiple purposes: to inform, entertain, persuade

  • Different types of print are observable in various environments (signs, maps, books)

  • Directionality in reading and writing

  • Recognizing front/back of books and proper orientation

  • Sound representation by letters, segmenting sounds, and linking them to words

Concepts of Pictures

  • Along with print, children also learn concepts about pictures:

    • Action Concept: Pictures can indicate movement despite being still examples.

    • Intentionality: Authors and illustrators choose pictures to serve specific purposes.

    • Permanence: Pictures remain unchanged and have fixed meanings in a text.

    • Relevance: Pictures relate to textual information and can enhance or complement it.

    • Representation: Pictures indicate objects but aren’t the actual objects.

Print Referencing

  • Definition: Engaging with print and enhancing children’s understanding of its meaning during read-aloud sessions

  • Techniques for Print Referencing:

    1. Pointing and Tracking Print: Tracking text while reading to cultivate awareness.

    2. Making Comments About Print: Voicing observations about print features; recognizing specific letters.

    3. Engagement through Questions: Involve children by asking them to identify letters or to track where reading starts on the page.

Impact of Print Referencing

  • Research Insights: Demonstrates beneficial impact of print referencing, enhancing literacy grasp in preschool, leading to persistent benefits in reading development.

Choosing Texts for Print Referencing

  • Print Salient Texts: Books designed with features emphasizing print (e.g., speech bubbles, unique fonts) for easier discussion about print

  • Examples of Recommended Texts:

    • The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! - features speech bubbles

    • Growing Vegetable Soup - environmental print in illustrations

    • Chicka Chicka Boom Boom - Illustrates letters

    • Counting with Frida - Bilingual print

    • Little Blue Truck - Visible sounds in print

Engaging with Print Throughout the Day

  • Print-Rich Environments: Ensure children engage with print through play, daily experiences, and special projects

  • Strategies for Implementing Print:

    • Provide printed materials in centers aligned with themes (e.g., menus in dramatic play, books about structures in building centers)

    • Involve children in creating their own classroom books to reinforce the concept of authorship and representation

Observing Children’s Print Understanding

Key Growth Milestones

  • Infants (Birth-12 months): Interact with pictures; manipulate board books

  • Toddlers (1-3 years): Pretend read and write; recognize cover images; track simple print in written form.

  • Preschoolers (3-5 years): Recognize letters; articulate differences between letters and words; show understanding of printed text as a stable reference.

Responsive Teaching Techniques

  • Responding to Observations: Teachers should note children’s activities with print and provide immediate support for extending their learning.

    • Recognize milestones in interactions; provide comments and connections to encourage further print engagement.

Conclusion

  • Early literacy education focuses on helping children build a strong foundation for reading by familiarizing them with how print works, which ultimately supports future literacy skills.