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Print Awareness

Click below to watch a short video clip that shows how 32-month-old Mira's parents help her become aware of print.

Children who have an awareness of print understand that the squiggly lines on a page represent spoken language. They understand that when adults read a book, what they say is linked to the words on the page, rather than to the pictures.

Children with print awareness understand that print has different functions depending on the context in which it appears – for example, menus list food choices, a book tells a story, a sign can announce a favorite restaurant or warn of danger. Print awareness is understanding that print is organized in a particular way – for example, knowing that print is read from left to right and top to bottom. It is knowing that words consist of letters and that spaces appear between words. Print awareness is a child's earliest introduction to literacy.

In a perfect world, all students would begin school with print awareness firmly in place. But the world is not a perfect place. So let's take a look at how teachers can help students to develop or increase print awareness.

Print Awareness During Read Alouds

By: Reading Rockets (2004)

The following is a sample format for what you can do before, during, and after a read aloud activity to help kids develop print awareness.

The Alphabetic Principle

By: Texas Education Agency (2002)

Children's knowledge of letter names and shapes is a strong predictor of their success in learning to read. Knowing letter names is strongly related to children's ability to remember the forms of written words and their ability to treat words as sequences of letters.

Print Awareness: Guidelines for Instruction

By: Texas Education Agency (2001)

Print awareness is a child's earliest understanding that written language carries meaning. The foundation of all other literacy learning builds upon this knowledge. The following are guidelines for teachers in how to promote print awareness and a sample activity for assessing print awareness in young children.

Print Awareness: An Introduction

By: Texas Education Agency (2001)

Children with print awareness can begin to understand that written language is related to oral language. Children who lack print awareness are unlikely to become successful readers. Indeed, children's performance on print awareness tasks is a very reliable predictor of their future reading achievement.

Print Awareness

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