It refers to the knowledge of the mechanism of action of print and how it should be interacted with. Kids with print awareness understand that print serves different functions based on the context in which it appears. For instance, they can understand that a book tells a story and a menu lists food choices. However, this understanding doesn’t happen overnight. Starting at about two years old, children start to become more and more familiar with the objective of books and the functionalities of books and other reading materials. They may initially think of spoken words and print as two separate entities as they’re introduced to different stories and books at home and at school. However, the concept develops and becomes more sophisticated with more exposure. In addition to building the connection between spoken words and printed words, print awareness also helps kids understand the following things:
· How to hold books, turn their pages, read from left to right and from its front to its back
· Print is a source of enjoyment and information
Parents can make some observations while reading at home with the kids to identify if they’ve developed print awareness. These include:
· They’re able to show parents the title of a book
· They help parents turn the pages
· They show an interest in writing their names
Parents can use several strategies to help their kids develop print awareness. Some common ones include:
Reading books regularly: Reading to kids is the single most valuable method parents can follow to help them become enthusiastic readers. Reading aloud helps kids develop language and listening skills. It also stimulates their imaginations and helps to expand their comprehension of the world around them.
Teaching the alphabet: Teaching the alphabet doesn’t need to be reserved for the school. Parents can help their children learn the alphabet anytime. Some effective ways to make learning the alphabet exciting include singing the alphabet song, reading alphabet books, and using playdough to create letter shapes.
Parents can also help emerging readers build print awareness while going about their everyday lives. For instance, while at a restaurant, they can read the menu to the child. Similarly, parents can show the kids the stop sign while walking or driving and describe what it means. Kids grasp many concepts quickly. Their absorbent minds observe and take in everything that’s happening around them. Therefore, print awareness isn’t a really difficult skill to teach, but it’s one that parents can help develop in their kids as they experience everyday life.
