h emergent reading print awareness · 2004-06-02 · area: emergent reading/print awareness...

EMERGENTREADING/

PRINT AWARENESS

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Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student demonstrates emerging knowledge of abstractconcepts, including pictures and print.

Area: Emergent Reading/Print Awareness

OBJECTIVE TEACHING ACTIVITIES

1. The student will know when a book is rightside up and turn pages in sequence fromright to left, front to back.

1. Playing a game called “Spin the Book”, theteacher will have a student spin a book onthe floor. Using animated body languagethe teacher will pick up the book, locate thefront cover, and turn the book right side up.On the next turn the teacher will spin thebook so that a student can imitate what theteacher has done, locating the front coverand turning the book right side up.

2. To assist students in locating the top ofeach page in a book, put stickers at the topof each page. Choose a common sticker,such as a star or a circle, so that the samesticker can be used for every book.

3. To assist students to turn pages in order,place tabs or page Fluffers* on each pageof the book.

RESOURCES/MATERIALS Adaptations:

Children’s books, variety of titles• Page Fluffers (see Pre-Emergent

Reading/Print Awareness E-1.)

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2. The student will discriminate betweendrawings/pictures and writing/print inbooks.

1. Using books with a limited number ofwords on a page and few illustrations on apage, Xerox each of the books. Cut apartthe text from the illustration and mounteach portion on poster board and laminate.Have individual students choose a pictureor a strip of text and match to thecorresponding picture or text in the book.

2. When reading simple books to studentseach day, ask individual students to indicatewhere to begin reading on each page.

Using a “Big Book” on an easel, haveindividual students indicate where to begin.Either the student or the teacher can followthe text with his/her finger (or pen light) asit is read aloud.

3. Using a wordless picture book, havestudents generate a text line for each page.Using a restickable glue stick or post-it-notes, attach the text below the picture. (Besure to use tape or a glue stick that will notcause permanent damage to the book.)


Laminated copies of text and pictures frombooks.Big booksEaselPen light

• Allow students to indicate the illustrationwhich corresponds to the appropriate textby using eye gage.

Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student demonstrates awareness of letters.



3. The student will show interest in letters andwords, and ask questions about them.

1. Give students the opportunity to experimentand play with letters. Use letter stamps,have student stamp a letter, then, find it in alarge print book.

Students can make the first letter of their name inplay dough using a template or use cookiedough cut outs.

2. Using labels from familiar snack foodpackages, make an “environmental print”book to place in reading center. Also allowstudents to “read” this book to each other,as well as, take it home to “read” to theirfamily.


Letter stampsLarge print booksPlay doughLetter cookie cutters

• Lakeshore Learning Materials produceslarge grip stamps (see resourceappendix)

• Adapted stamps (Emergent LiteracySuccess; Musselwhite & DeBaun,1997, pg. 130).

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4. The student will frame a word or letter withfinger upon request.

1. Using a stamp pad, have students placea “finger print” under each word orletter when modeled by teacher.

2. Using a pen light or flashlight studentswill locate words or letters seen in theenvironment upon request.

3. Make flashcards on which letters orfamiliar words are written. Scatter theflashcards around the classroom (inhighly visible places). Have studentslocate specific letters or words as theyare requested.


Stamp padLetter cardsEnvironmental printPenlight/flashlightFlashcards with letters or familiar words

• Adapted stamps• Head mounted flashlight or pen light.

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Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student understands that print carries a message byrecognizing labels, signs and other print forms in the environment.


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5. The student will recognize his/her ownname.

1. At the first of the school year label eachstudent’s supplies and storage cubbie withhis/her name paired using a photograph of thestudent and different color of print for eachstudent. As the student puts away supplies,uses his/her cubbie or gets supplies, give thestudent an opportunity to locate what is neededor the cubbie independently before offeringassistance.

As the student becomes more familiar with theway his/her name appears in print, remove thepicture. As students become less dependent onthe color of print, change labels to a black/whiteformat.

2. Develop classroom jobs and responsibilities.(This is the foundation for vocational training.)Display these jobs on a chart or bulletin boardin the classroom. Allow students to read thechart to locate specific jobs for which he/she isresponsible.

When taking and reporting attendance eachmorning; allow students to locate own nameson a chart or bulletin board and move it fromthe “HOME” column to the “SCHOOL”column. At the end of the day the process canbe reversed with each student moving ownname from “SCHOOL” to “HOME”.


Name/photo labels for students personal itemsand spaces

Job responsibility charts“HOME”/”SCHOOL” chart

• The All-Turn-It Spinner (AbleNet) may be usedto allow a student with physical difficulties theopportunity to “pick” the names of students.Use a blank overlay and place student namesand/or photos on it.

• Use an eye-gaze frame with a few studentsnames on cards. Allow the nonverbal student touse their eye gaze to indicate their name.



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6. The student will recognize familiar signs,labels, and logos in the environment.

1. While participating in community basedinstruction, give each student an enlargedenvironmental sign. Assist students to lookfor signs while in the community or on thebus. Give students a sticker for each signfound. Vary the activity by playing “I Spy”with the environmental signs while oncommunity based instruction.

2. Put student names and associated symbol(as needed) on cards. Holding up a specificstudents’ name, have one student locate thatspecific cubbie or locker. Vary the activityby using the same cards to designateclassroom jobs.

3. Create an environmental print book byusing familiar food labels, store names,names of Disney characters, pictures andnames of people seen at school, etc. Putthese on poster board, laminate them andbind them into a book. These books can beplaced in the classroom library for use bythe students. Also allow students to takethese environmental print books home to“read” to family members.


Copies of traffic signs and survival signsEnvironmental print booksIndex cardsMarkers

• Program student names into a multiplelocation voice output device or multiplelocation communication board.

• Program the names of environmental signsinto multiple location voice output device.

Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student shares books and engages in pretend-reading withother children.


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7. The student will engage in pretend-readingto self and other students.

Memorization plays an important part in thedevelopment of literacy skills. For a student to“memorize” a simple story, there must be manyopportunities for the student to hear the storyread. Research shows that repeatedopportunities to hear a story read and toactively participate in the reading process arerequired for both typical students and studentswith disabilities. Frequently teachers who havestudents with disabilities forget that allchildren, those with a disability as well as thosetypically developing children, require and willrequest many re-readings of a favorite story.This step is vital to the process of all studentsbecoming literate individuals.

1. Provide a reading corner or a reading centerin the classroom. Put a variety of age-appropriate books and periodicals in thecenter. Allow and encourage students tolook at books, request the reading of books,and assist in the re-reading of a story. Atstory time allow individual students tochoose a familiar book that has been readmany times and to “read” the book to theclass. Rotate this opportunity so that allstudents have a turn at choosing and“reading” a favorite book.

2. Develop experience stories about school orclassroom activities. After these are putinto a book form by binding them, put themin the reading center so that students canlook at them, “read” to parents.


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(Continued)

3. Develop stories about each student in theclassroom. Information might includechild’s name, family members, pets,favorite toys or activities, etc. Put these inthe reading center and allow students totake them home after checking out thebook. This will give many opportunitiesfor “reading” their stories to each other andto family members.

VARIATION: Encourage parents todocument summer activities or a vacationin the form of a book, complete withphotographs. Request that students bringtheir books to school at the beginning of theschool year to share with staff andclassmates.


Various books with repeatable lines (seeResource section)

Materials for making books

• Electronic books created with softwaresuch as IntelliPics (IntelliTools),BuildAbility (Don Johnston), KidPix(Broderbund), PowerPoint (Microsoft), etc.,may be made accessible by using switchesand/or adapted keyboards.

• Simple repeated line books may berecorded into multi-location or sequencingvoice output devices.

Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student demonstrates simple strategies for comprehendingselections read aloud.


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8. The student will retell or act out importantevents in a story.

1. Allow students to use flannel board propsor puppets to retell a story from a familiarbook.

2. Have students re-tell a story from a familiarbook, providing costumes and props toencourage dramatization. Each childassumes one character and retells thatportion of the story by becoming a specificcharacter.

3. Since students are natural actors, they areoften eager to act out the stories that havebeen read with them and with which theyare familiar. Props and costumes add adimension to the re-enactment of the story,but they are not required for students to actout a story. The teacher can provide apicture of the character on a placard to beworn around the neck. As the teacher readsthe story, the student with the appropriatepicture acts out or repeats what thecharacter says. The story should be actedout several times so that every student hasan opportunity to be one of the characters.Refer to adaptations using speech outputdevices in Activity 1.


Tape playerFlannel board storiesPuppetsCostumesStory props

• Voice output devices with multiplelocations or sequencing options may beused to program multiple story lines.

• A tape player may be used to “retell” thestory verbally while students use props to“act out” or just “hold up” the importantevents in a story.



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1. The student will know when book is rightside up and turn pages in sequence fromright to left, front to back.

1. To assist students in orienting a book sothat it is right side up with pages turningsequentially, place a consistent sticker, suchas a star, at the top of the cover on the righthand side of each book used in theclassroom. Teacher demonstrates, modelscorrect orientation and monitors studentsfor correct orientation of the book

2. Teacher purposely holds a book upsidedown and tries to turn the pages. Studentsare encouraged to help “solve” the problemthrough question prompts, such as theteacher saying, “Gee, I wonder why I can’topen this book!” “Hm, what do you think Iam doing wrong?” etc. Allow individualstudents to demonstrate the solution to theproblem

3. At the end of the day, books will begathered to be placed on the book shelf.An age-appropriate sticker placed at the topof the spine of the book will be used toindicate appropriate placement of the bookwhen returning it to the bookshelf.

4. Pair one student with a student who worksin the school library on a regular basis.Train both students to work together toshelve books that have been returned to theschool library. As the student’s skillsimprove, allow him/her to shelve the bookswith only supervision and assistance asneeded for the correct placement of bookson the shelf.


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(Continued)


Age appropriate stickers• Provide communication symbols with or

without speech output for vocabularyrelated to book orientation and page turning(i.e., “that’s the top”, “turn it around”, “turnthe page”, etc.)

Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student demonstrates emerging knowledge of abstractconcepts including pictures and print.




1. Students play “Concentration” using logosand the words associated in print. Logoscan be found by the students lookingthrough magazines, newspapers, or byusing computer generated logos.

2. Prepare students for community basedinstruction to familiar locations bypresenting and/or reviewing pictures andassociated printed words of food items thatare needed for a classroom activity. On thecommunity based instruction, students willlocate the food items that are to bepurchased by referring to their grocery listmade with pictures of the food items andthe associated words. Photos can be takenin order to make an experience book at alater date. (Refer to Reading/PrintAwareness M-6.)

3. For a cooking activity, the teacher preparestwo sets of instructions. One set isrepresented by words in print and one setwill be in picture symbols. The two setswill be mixed together for the students toseparate into one set with pictures/drawingsand one set in print.


CameraMagazinesNewspapers2 sets of instructions for cooking in Activity 3:One using pictures/drawings, one using wordsin print

• Battery and switch operated scissors(AbleNet).

• JamCam inexpensive switch-adapted digitalcamera (www.orcca.com)

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3. The student will show interest in letters andwords, and ask questions about them.

1. Play bingo using letters or words takenfrom print found in the environment.

2. Place letters or words that have previouslybeen taught (through direct instruction)around the classroom. Play “I Spy”, havingstudents search for an assigned word orletter.

3. Student will discriminate between words orletters and pictures by using magazines,newspapers, etc., and asking for anexplanation from the teacher. Students canalso highlight words or letters and circlepictures with a highlighter.

This activity should serve to build anawareness of survival words and/or theassociated picture in the environment toprepare students for community basedinstruction.


HighlightersMagazinesNewspapersLetter/word cardsBingo Cards

• Program multi-message voice outputdevices with letter names, familiar words.

• Use All-Turn-It Spinner (AbleNet) to allowstudent with physical disabilities to be theBingo “caller”.

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1. Modify a phone book by taking the frontand back cover off the local telephonedirectory and laminate them. Using acomputer, list student names and hometelephone numbers in alphabetical orderassigning one page to each letter of thealphabet. Use a large bold font that is easyto read. (For students who do not have ahome telephone number, list the school’stelephone number. List, also, places thatare visited regularly on community basedinstruction. Place pages in page protectorsand bind them together. When oncommunity based instruction or at otherappropriate times, have students use the paytelephone to call home. Students will usefingers to point or frame their name andphone number.

VARIATION: To create a simplertelephone directory, put each student’spicture, name, address, and telephonenumber on 3x5 index cards and laminatethem. Clip these together with a 1 inch ringso that they will stay attached, are easy tocarry and easy for students to use. Havestudent find his/her name or picture,telephone number or address when using apay telephone on Community BasedInstruction.


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(Continued)

2. Write the Pledge of Allegiance or a schoolcheer on chart paper. Routinely assist thestudents in “reading” these charts as agroup as you point to each word. Requestdifferent students to locate various wordsand/or letters by pointing to them. (i.e.“Show me the word “America’”; “Where isthe last letter in the chart”; “How manytimes can you find the word ‘the’ on thischart?”).


Pay phoneTeacher made phone booksChart paperMarker

• Adapt Activity 2 by programming eachword of the pledge or cheer into a multi-message voice output device. Student canindicate the correct word in response toteacher’s question.

• A paper communication board can also beused for this activity.



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1. As students arrive for the first day ofschool, or as other opportunities arise, labelall of each student’s supplies,cubbies/lockers, desks, chairs and any otherpersonal belongings, supplies or locations.Have students get their own supplies, go totheir cubbies/lockers, etc. Create as manyopportunities during the day for students topractice name recognition.

HELPFUL HINT: For those students whohave difficulty recognizing their own name,label their supplies and areas for work orpersonal belongings with a photograph ofthe student. Slowly remove the photographas the student begins to recognize theirname in print. Color coding names can alsoserve as a tool to assist students who havedifficulty recognizing their name.

2. Each day take attendance by having eachstudent move his/her name from the“HOME” column to the “SCHOOL”column of an attendance chart. Reverse theprocess at the end of the day as students gohome. Have each student move his/hername from the “SCHOOL” column of theattendance chart to the “HOME” column ofthe chart.


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(Continued)

3. Play “Name Concentration”. Make a gamecard for each student with a person symbolon the left side and a strip of Velcro on theright side. Put each student’s name on acorresponding strip with Velcro on theback. With a group of students turn eachname card face down in the center of thetable. Taking turns have students turn overone name card. If the name card is theirname, they place it on the game card.

VARIATION: Have students match a photographof themselves with their name on thegame card.


Student name labelsHome/School chartStudent photographsName concentration game

• Make student’s personal items and namelabels easily accessible for all students.

• Students with physical limitations may usea Velcro mitt or Velcro stick for picking upcards during the concentration game.



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6. The student will recognize familiar signs,labels and logos in the environment.

1. Assist students in creating an “About Me”or “My Favorite Things” book. First,identify topics or categories for each page(i.e. places we go, people in my family, myfavorite foods, my favorite movies, etc.)Second, put the topic as a heading on eachpage. Third, using newspaper ads,magazines, photographs, picture symbols,assist students in identifying and selectingitems to go in each category. The teachershould write the associated word undereach picture/symbol/logo. Bind pagestogether to make a book to be used bystudents in sharing about themselves.

VARIATION: On a classroom or schoolbulletin board, feature a “Star Student ofthe Month”. Make stars large enough forpictures of categories (“My favoriteanimal”, “My favorite song”, “My favoritecolor”, etc.) Have student featured for themonth find pictures to illustrate eachcategory and “read” it to other students.

2. Assist students in creating environmentalprint books. Example:• Ask students to bring in their empty

cereal boxes• Cut off the front of the boxes• Glue the box front to tag board• Punch holes in the top of each page and

put the pages together with rings orbread ties.

• Let each student read the book to eachother.

VARIATION: Write a sentence about thestudent who brought each box. For exampleShelly eats Raisin Bran.” Add this sentenceto the appropriate page.


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3. On community based instruction to themall, have students locate specific signs(EXIT, ELEVATOR, McDONALDS,RESTROOMS, ENTER, etc.), read the signand tell what is meant by the sign.

On subsequent trips to the mall, dividestudents into groups so that there is an adultfor each group of students. Have studentsgo, by teams, on a scavenger hunt forspecific signs. As each sign is found, it isread and explained to the group. All teamsmeet at a specific location when all signs onlist are found to have a snack.


NewspapersMagazinesLogos

• Names of community signs can beprogrammed into a sequencing or multi-message voice output device. The studentusing the device can select which sign thegroup looks for in the mall.



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1. Refer to activities listed on EmergentReading/Print Awareness E-7. Theseactivities continue to be appropriate forstudents in this age group if thematerials/books provided and used are age-appropriate.

2. Develop experience stories aboutCommunity Based Instruction (C.B.I.)activities. Take many photographs of thestudents while on CBI and have them assistin sequencing and writing about theactivity. After this is put into a book formby binding the pages together, put thebooks in the reading corner of theclassroom so that students can look at them,“read” them to each other, or check themout to take home and “read” to familymembers.


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(Continued)

3. Develop stories about each student in theclassroom. Information about the student’sfamily, favorite movie stars, favorite music,pets, extracurricular activities, etc. can beincluded in the story. Submit these storiesto the school newspaper, display theinformation on a bulletin board, or feature aclass member in a newsletter developed byclass members. Encourage students to“read” these stories to visitors in theclassroom. Keep a collection of thesestories in a 3 ring binder as they arepublished. Display the binder in aprominent place in the reading corner sothat students can “read” about themselvesand check out the binder to take homeovernight to share the stories with familymembers.


Age-appropriate classroom booksExperience storiesStudent spotlight stories

• Simple repeated line books may berecorded into multi-location or sequencingvoice output devices

• Create electronic books about students andcommunity activities using software such asIntelliPcs (IntelliTools), KidPix(Broderbund), BuildAbility (Don Johnston)and PowerPoint (Microsoft). Theseelectronic books may be made accessibleby using switches and/or alternatekeyboards.



Emergent M-8



1. Read a very sequential story such as TheNapping House. The book should havepictures that represent the actions in thestory to which the teacher/student canpoint. Assign each student a character fromthe story along with a prop to represent thatcharacter. As the teacher re-reads the story,the students participate by using their propsto tell their part of the story when theteacher cues them with a pause. Thisactivity should be repeated until studentscan retell their portion of the story withoutprompts.

2. Make two copies of a comic strip, such as“Garfield” or “Dennis the Menace”. Keepone copy intact to serve as a model. Cuteach panel of the other copy apart andlaminate. Assist students in reading thecomic strip using the model. After thestudents are familiar with the sequence ofthe story, assist them in arranging panels insequential order to retell the story.


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(Continued)

3. Script a “knock, knock” joke on chart paperwith symbols above words to illustratemeaning of words. Copy the joke on asecond piece of chart paper and cut apartwith each line intact. When students arefamiliar with the sequence of the joke,assist them in putting strips in order to tellthe joke.

After the students are successful insequencing the strips with the “knock,knock” joke, put the same joke with picturesymbols on 3x5 cards. Assist students insequencing these to retell the “knock,knock” joke until he/she is able to retell itindependently.


The Napping House by Audry WoodStory propsComic StripsChart paperKnock, knock jokes

• Story lines and comic strip lines can berecorded into multi-location voice outputdevices for students to indicate thesequence of messages.

• Adaptations for retelling a joke mightinclude: a) place picture symbols used inActivity 3 into a communication wallet, sothat students can refer to the visualreference as they tell the sequence of ajoke, and, b) record the lines that would bespoken by the student into a sequencingvoice output device (i.e., “knock, knock”,“who’s there?”, “knock, knock”, etc.



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1. The student will know when a book is rightside up and turn pages in sequence fromright to left, front to back.

1. Include age-appropriate books andmagazines in the classroom library orreading corner. Picture books that areappropriate for high school students includeyouth-oriented magazines, “coffee-table”picture books or school annuals. By usingpicture books that are age-appropriate, theteacher can call the student’s attention tothe pictures on each page and the fact thateach is right side up. Placing small coloreddots on the top right hand cover of the bookwill assist the students in orienting the bookbefore opening the cover.

2. As job sites are developed in communitysettings, look for placements that willrequire students to orient books right sideup. In the school library or the communitylibrary students can shelve books. The jobcoach should monitor for correctorientation of the book.

Churches in the community offer anotherlocation where students are required toplace books so that the top is in the correctposition. Students can place hymnals inpew holders as they are dusting andcleaning. The job coach can monitor forcorrect placement of the hymnal in therack.


Adhesive dotsAge-appropriate books and magazinesCommunity job sites

• Use larger adhesive dots if smaller dots arefrequently unnoticed.

• Use page Fluffers to assist with pageturning. (See Pre-Emergent Reading/PrintAwareness E-1.)


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Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student demonstrates emerging knowledge ofabstract concepts, including pictures and print.



1. Create a grocery list of ingredients that willbe needed for a cooking activity. The listshould be written on chart paper so that agroup of students can be involved. Readthe name of each ingredient that is neededand ask the students to find the picture ofthe grocery item from those listed inadvertisements. Pair the printed item withthe corresponding picture.

VARIATIONS: a) Use a menu and picturesof foods to create a menu when going out toeat. b) Create a shopping list for adepartment store or clothing store usingpictures from the newspaper to pair with theitems on the list.

2. Use a book such as Mayer-Johnson’s“Kitchen Appliances”. After introducingthe appliance and pertinent informationabout the appliance, have students answerquestions by circling the appropriatepicture.

3. Students will look through a phone bookand discriminate between the white pages,yellow pages and the coupon section.Students will survey yellow pages andpoint to the print sections and theadvertising section. Students will state thatads help people to sell things.


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(Continued)

4. Assist students to locate coupons in theyellow pages, magazines, newspaper, orother periodicals and use them oncommunity based instruction.


Newspaper advertisementsChart paper for shopping lists or menusCoupons from periodicalsFile boxTelephone directory

• Program voice output devices with itemsfrom a shopping list so the student canname the items for the other students tolocate in the newspaper advertisements.

• A stamp or an adapted stamp may be usedby a student who is unable to use a writingtool to mark or circle pictures in Activity 2.



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3. The student will show interest in letters andwords and ask questions about them.

1. Accompany students to a video store or amusic store. Look at covers on the videosand CD’s as well as posters in the store.Assist students in determining how to knowwhat the name of a CD or video is and whatit is about. Talk with them about the titlesand the pictures. Encourage questioning bythe students. Ask them to locate specificpictures, specific words that have beentaught and specific letters in each.

2. Plan community based instruction to thelocal library or a bookstore. Ask studentsto look for specific books or magazines(find a magazine about cars, etc.). Ask howthey know what the topic of the book ormagazine is. Encourage students to askquestions, locate familiar words, or locatespecific letters. If students have specificinterests, encourage them to requestassistance from store employees.

3. When at the local mall, grocery store ordepartment store, have students findspecific signs that have been previouslytaught. Have students tell the meaning ofthe sign and identify specific letters in thesign. If students cannot locate a specificsign, such as the elevator, encourage themto ask a store employee for assistance.


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(Continued)

If students cannot find specific food items oritems on the list at a grocery store ordiscount store, encourage students to ask astore employee for the location. Require thestudents to listen for instructions and then touse aisle markers or numbers to locate theitem. Ask student how they identified thestore employee, how they located the itemrequested, and what specific letters ornumerals were used.

4. Play “I SPY” with student names, familiarlogos, familiar signs or words, or specificletters. The teacher can begin the game byasking a student to find the sign that tells uswhere to leave a store (EXIT). The firststudent to locate the correct sign gets to askthe next question with assistance given asrequested. The student may ask others tolocate a sign that begins with “P” and endswith “H” (PUSH).

5. When organizing the classroom, labelstorage areas, shelves, lockers, trays,student supplies, lockers, etc. with the wordonly. Do not supply a picture symbol orphotograph with the label in order toencourage students to ask questions aboutwhere specific supplies can be found orwhere to return specific supplies.


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(Continued)


Letter cardsFamiliar word cardsEnvironmental labels

• Program voice output devices with letternames, familiar words, andquestions/comments related to the lettersand words (i.e., “What’s that word?”, “Thatsays ___”, etc.)

• Printed labels may be initially paired withpicture symbols for students who have notshown an interest in letters and words.



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1. When going to a mall or a department storewith a store directory, assist students inlocating the store or the area of a store thatis needed for a specific purchase. Ask eachstudent to put his/her finger on the storeand on the “YOU ARE HERE” symbol.Have each student trace the route to thestore with his/her finger.

2. Involve students in a service project to helpwith a bulk mailing either for the schooloffice or a community agency. Showstudents the differences in numerals in zipcodes. Have the students’ sort envelopesaccording to the zip code. Ask the studentto point to the last numeral and point to thesorting location where it should be put.

3. Let students assist with compiling aclassroom telephone directory to be used oncommunity based instruction. Givestudents an assortment of cards with namesof students in the class. Put first and lastnames on separate cards. Supply largecommas. Demonstrate for students how thefirst name and last name cards can berearranged so that the last name is in frontand the first name is in back. Explain thatthe comma will separate the two words.Rearrange the name of each student so thatthe names can be placed in alphabeticalorder.


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(Continued)

Display paper with a large letter on it or alarge letter that has been cut out. Askstudents to point to the first letter in his/herlast name. Have the student to locate thecorresponding letter on the wall and placehis/her name on it. When all names havebeen put in the correct location, compile andbind the pages into a simplified telephonedirectory that can be used in communitybased instruction on job sites.

VARIATION: Instead of compiling andbinding the pages together in a telephonedirectory, add a photograph of the studentand file the card in a file box.


First and last name cardsLarge commasLarge lettersBulk mailing with zip codesClassroom telephone directoryFile box

• Program a multi-location voice outputdevice with the names of numbers 0-9 toallow a student who has limited speechand/or physical abilities the opportunity toparticipate in Activity 2.

• The voice output device may also beprogrammed with letter names for use inActivity 3.

Pre-Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines: The student understands that print carries a message byrecognizing labels, signs’ and other print forms in the environment.


Emergent H-5



1. Utilize the telephone directory created onEmergent Reading/Print Awareness H-4when participating in Community BasedInstruction. Have each student locatehis/her own name, point to the home andtelephone number (or pull out the card fromthe index file) and then use a pay telephoneto call home. For those students who havetaken their cards from a file box, it will benecessary for the student to put the cardback into the file box. This will provideextra practice in locating specific letters fora purpose.

2. Create job responsibilities in the classroom.Display pictures of each job and provide aplace for a student’s name. Each studentwill have to locate his/her own name to findthe classroom job that has been assigned.

3. Provide an opportunity for students toactively participate in taking classroomattendance each day.• Provide a dry erase board and marker

for students to sign in and out of theclassroom.


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(Continued)• Provide a chart and student names. As

students come in each day, have eachone find his/her name and place it inthe “SCHOOL” column. At the end ofthe day, have each student move his/hername to the “HOME” chart.

• Use a time clock for studentattendance. As students arrive at school,each must locate his/her name and“clock in”. When leaving at the end ofthe day, have each student find his/hername and “clock out”.

4. Use student names to assist in organizingthe classroom. Have students label allpersonal items and personal storage areaswith his/her own name. The student mustlocate his/her name to locate supplies asthey are needed or to put away supplieswhen they are finished with a task.


Classroom telephone directoryLabels for personal items and personal spaceJob responsibilities chartStudent name cards/labelsDry erase board and markersHome/School chartTime clock

• Program student’s name into voice outputdevice or develop a “low-tech”communication board.

• Allow students’ who have limited speechor motor abilities, the opportunity to locatetheir name card by pointing on acommunication board or using an eye-gaze display.



Emergent H-6


6. The student will recognize familiar signs,labels and logos I the environment.

1. In a prominent location, display a picturesymbol schedule for each student’s dailyactivities. The student will locate thecurrent activity, name the activity that ispictured, and move to the area of theclassroom where this activity routinelytakes place. In that location provide apicturized list of supplies that the studentwill need in order to complete the activity.

2. Review vending machine selections forvending machines that are used regularly.Allow students to make a choice of theitems to purchase and locate those items inthe vending machine. Provide a visualprompt, if needed, as the student uses thevending machine.

3. Review community words that givedirections to people, such as EXIT, STOP,RESTROOM, PULL. Use a commerciallymade bingo game using these words ormake your own bingo game with the helpof the students. Give each student thesigns, a grid on tag board and a glue stick.As each sign is named, the student canplace the picture of the sign in any squareon the grid. The cards can then belaminated and used to play the game.


Emergent H-6


(Continued)

4. Have students assist in compiling books forlocations that are routinely visited. Thesemay include a grocery store, a library, amall, Wal-Mart, McDonalds, etc. Make alist of activities for each location andcollect environmental print that can be usedto illustrate the activities. For example in aMcDonald’s book, one page may say “THEFRENCH FRIES ARE HOT!”. A wrapperfrom an order of French fries can illustratethe page.

5. Organize a community sign or a logoscavenger hunt. On community basedinstruction take students to the mall or to alarge store, such as Wal-Mart. Divide thegroup into teams with an adult as the teamleader. Provide each team with a list ofsigns (such as ELEVATOR, PUSH, EXIT)and/or logos (COKE, MCDONALDS).The teams go around the location lookingfor the specified signs or logos. As each isfound, it is crossed off the list. If desired,the adult can document where each waslocated. The team that comes back to theoriginal starting point first wins the game.


Individual student schedulePicture symbols for classroom activitiesPicture symbols of vending machine choicesCommunity words bingoVelcroEnvironmental print booksEnvironmental signs list

• Develop a paper communication board orprogram a voice output device withvending machine choices.

• Make student’s individual scheduleportable by putting it in a communicationwallet or file folder. This will allow thestudent to carry his/her schedule withhim/her for easy reference.

• Use Velcro in place of a glue stick onActivity 3.



Emergent H-7




1. Place the environmental print bookdeveloped in Emergent Reading/PrintAwareness H-6, Activity 4 in the classlibrary. Encourage students to “read” thesebooks to each other and to class visitors.Allow students to check out the books sothat they can “read” the books to theirfamily members.

2. Have students dictate and illustrate withpictures from magazines each page ofclassroom books about “Our Heroes”,“Dreams”, “Monsters and Other ThingsThat Scare Me”, My dream Car”, etc.Place these books in the class library.Encourage students to “read” these booksto each other or class visitors. Allowstudents to check out the books so that theycan “read” them to family members.


Environmental print booksStudent-made books

• Environmental print books may be madeinto electronic books using a variety ofsoftware programs such as: KidPix(Broderbund), PowerPoint (Microsoft), etc.Pictures may be scanned and used on thecomputer. These books may be madeaccessible using a switch or alternatekeyboard.



Emergent H-8



1. Since older students are often interested instories and books that are appropriate foryounger children, they can enjoy the storieswhile involved in activities with youngerchildren. They can be involved inpresenting skits for young children. It isvery important that the students be veryfamiliar with the story that is beingpresented. The staff should read the storyand talk about the story many times beforea skit is presented.

When presenting the story in skit form,each student can be responsible for adifferent part in the story. Any voiceoutput device can be used so that non-speaking students can be actively involved.Cues may be used to assist students inbeing as independent as possible. Colorcues are a very effective strategy in doingthis. Pages of the story that are associatedwith a student’s specific part may be color-coded. Each student’s color cue can beplaced in a location that is visible andmeaningful to the student. A lap tray on awheelchair, a wristband or a colored switchcan be used for placement of the color cue.As each page of the book is read or when astudent’s part is read, the teacher or anotherstaff member holds up the appropriate colorto cue the student that it is the time forhim/her to “read” his/her part in the skit.


Emergent H-8


(Continued)

VARIATION: Use puppets instead ofprops or costumes to allow older students toperform the skit for the younger students.

2. Reading Activities Project for OlderStudents: RAPS is an appropriate source ofstories for older students. Individualstudent books can be made from the storiesin RAPS so that students can “read” thestories for pleasure and can take the bookshome to “read” to family members. Thesesame stories can be used as a source ofrole-plays for older students after thestudents are very familiar with the storiesfrom re-reading with an adult.


Age-appropriate familiar short storiesReading Activities Project for Older Students:

RAPS (Musselwhite, 1993)Books with repeated lines (see Reaching forResources section)Puppets

• Program a voice output device withrepeated lines or other story lines frombooks to allow students with limited or nospeech a way to participate in storyretelling.

• Color cues: Colored wristband, coloredswitch, colored card, etc. may be used tocue a student when to “say” their storyline.

h emergent reading print awareness · 2004-06-02 · area: emergent reading/print awareness...

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