Literacy Through Play

First Book/ECRTR MeetingsAugust, 2011

PlayBoard

Games

Blocks

Outdoor Games

Puppets

Sports

Dramatic Play

Music

Play and Brain Development

• Exploratory Play

• Constructive Play

• Dramatic Play

Dramatic Play

Concrete object Abstract idea

Marks on the pageMessage

Function vs. Feature of Print

Function• Reason or purpose

of print

Feature• Letter-sound

relationship

• Structure of grammar

• Meaning

Four Major Functions

• Environmental Print

• Occupational Print

• Informational Print

• Recreational Print

Literacy Development Through Dramatic Play

• Allows children to experiment with purposes for literacy that they’ve seen at home

• Allows children to recognize that different tasks require different texts

• Allows children to produce a wide variety of texts

• Builds comprehension by allowing children to act out familiar stories/scenarios

Play Literacy is Purposeful

Play Area • Sink, stove, dishes,

table, refrigerator, food, aprons, place settings

Play Literacy Area• Kitchen: Recipe cards,

grocery list, books about food or cookbooks

• Pizza shop or restaurant: menus, cash register, money, step-by-step instructions for making pizza, books about making pizza or nutrition

Play Literacy is Purposeful

Play Area • Stethoscope,

doctor’s bag, pill bottles, pretend syringes, blood pressure cuff

Play Literacy Area• Doctor’s office: clipboards,

check-up checklist, x-rays, prescription pads, baby dolls, bandages, magazines for waiting area, books on bodies

• Veterinary clinic: exchange stuffed animals for babies, books on pets

PLAY LITERACY @ YOUR LIBRARYHow can your library support literacy through play?

On-site: Play Area

• Theme• Props• Environmental print • Functions of print• Social interaction• Books or other library resources• Storage

Shari Sloane www.kidscount1234.com

• Props

• Environmental

print

• Functions of

print

• Social interaction

• Books or other

library resources

• Storage

http://dbsenk.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/dramatic-play-center-ideas/

Restaurant

American Falls

• Props

• Environmental

print

• Functions of

print

• Social interaction

• Books or other

library resources

• Storage

Grocery

http://www.printablekidsplaymoneytemplates.com/tag/editable-money-template/

http://blogs.scholastic.com/classroom_solutions/2010/11/literacy-kindergarten-dramatic-play-centers-housekeeping-grocery-store.html

No room, budget, or staff time to create a dramatic play area in your library space?

Prop Boxes

• Theme• Props• Functions of print• Social interaction• Books or other library resources• Storage

Prop Boxes

• Bins and tubs• Trunks and suitcases• In-house use:– Library staff– Parents

• Outreach:– Child Care Providers/Teachers

Outreach

• Deposit programs• Check-out• Site-visits

Madison Public Library (WI)

• Props

• Environmental

print

• Functions of

print

• Social interaction

• Books or other

library resources

• Storage

Getting started…

ResourcesLiteracy-Building Play in

Preschool: Lit Kits, Prop Boxes, and Other Easy-to-Make Tools

to Boost Emergent Reading and Writing Skills Through Dramatic Play, by V. Susan Bennett-Armistead, 2009.

Literacy Play: Over 300 Dramatic Play Activities That Teach Pre-Reading Skills, by Sherrie West and Amy Cox,

2004.

Additional Resources• Literacy Through Play, by Gretchen Owocki, 1999.• Scholastic classroom blog: Literacy in Kindergarten Dramatic

Play Centers http://blogs.scholastic.com/classroom_solutions/2010/11/literacy-kindergarten-dramatic-play-centers-housekeeping-grocery-store.html

• Kindergarten Nana: Dramatic Play Center Ideas• http://dbsenk.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/dramatic-play-center-

ideas/ • Shari Sloane, Dramatic Play Centers:

http://www.kidscount1234.com/play.html • Education World: The Prop Box--Setting the Stage for

Meaningful Play http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev/profdev101.shtml

• Madison Public Library: Play Literacy http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/kids/play-literacy