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First Steps Toward Literacy
Questions and Answers
Q. How do you set up an area in the classroom to promote children's early literacy?
A: You want to have space for looking at books, listening to recordings, writing, and retelling familiar stories. The key to establishing an effective literacy area is to make it an inviting place where children will want to spend time.
Locate the books in a quiet area, where children can look at them undisturbed. Make sure there are soft chairs and pillows nearby. Relaxing furniture lets children know that this is a comfortable place to be. A rug on the floor, a big beanbag cushion, a rocking chair, or even a mattress or futon covered with an attractive piece of fabric creates a warm, cozy environment.
Books should be attractively arranged on low, open shelving with their covers facing out to spark children's interests. Draw children's attention to special books by displaying them on the shelf with props related to the story next to it.
Decorate the walls near the book shelves or the sides and backs of shelving. Book jackets, photos of children reading, and children's artwork can all make this area more inviting. Charts and signs help create a print-rich environment. Display the alphabet at a child's eye-level near the table that is used for writing so that children will have a model when writing.
Light the area well. Children shouldn't have to strain their eyes. Natural light, if possible, is always best; an overhead fixture can provide additional lighting if necessary.
Q: How do you go about selecting age-appropriate books for young children?
A: There are many wonderful and appropriate books written especially for young children. How do you go about choosing books from the many available titles? It's important to begin with the interests, life experiences, and skills of the children. Young children's attention is centered on themselves, their families, their homes, and their friends.
Books for infants and toddlers help them learn about the world around them. Realistic pictures that introduce them to the people and objects in this world easily hold their attention. When made of coated cardboard or cloth, they hold up to babies who read with their mouths and feet as well as their eyes and ears. Older infants and toddlers, who are learning about the sounds of language, enjoy humor and word play in books. Silly and nonsense stories make them laugh as they learn.
Appropriate books for younger preschoolers have the following characteristics:
- a simple plot about familiar experiences;
- colorful and bold illustrations that are clear and filled with detail;
- illustrations drawn from the child's point of view;
- lots of repetition in the story; and
- rich language (rhymes, nonsense words, and repetition).
Older preschoolers like books with a story line. Their attention span is longer and they appreciate humor and fantasy. Books that are appropriate for them have these characteristics:
- a plot that can be followed;
- a story with humor or perhaps a surprise ending;
- imaginative accounts of things they know can't happen;
- stories that extend their understanding of the world around them;
- colorful illustrations with lots of details; and
- stories about faraway places and other cultures with elements similar to their own experiences.
Books for all children should challenge prejudice, bias, and stereotyping and convey positive messages to children about differences of all kinds. This means that selected books should show the following:
- men and women in a variety of roles, displaying the ability to make decisions, solve problems, care for family members, and work outside the home;
- a variety of family configurations (e.g., a father and child, two children and a grandmother, etc.);
- illustrations that portray people realistically (e.g., mothers who wear clothing other than aprons and people of various ethnic origins portrayed realistically, not stereotypically);
- people of all ethnic backgrounds who can be assertive, have and solve problems, make decisions, take on a variety of family roles, and display a wide range of emotions; and
- adults and children with disabilities who participate in all aspects of life, including mainstreamed schooling, an active family life, and participation in sports and other recreational activities.
Q: Should I have a listening area in my library area, or is it better to just focus on books?
A: While books are the primary component of a literacy area, having a listening center is an important addition. They don't substitute for books. Rather they tell the story aloud while children follow along in a book or recall a familiar tale. For children who are auditory learners, a listening area gives them an added opportunity to develop reading skills.If possible, include one or two small cassette players and a variety of tapes for children to select. Headphones allow children to listen to tapes without disturbing others.
The same general guidelines noted for books also apply to selecting story tapes. The best tapes are:
- short, because children's attention spans are limited;
- lively in their presentation, because nothing is more boring than a dry, monotonous voice;
- technically well-produced, without static and hisses;
- anti-bias in content; and
- narrated by both men and women.
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