Transcript Slide 1

CHAPTER 3:
PRINT AWARENESS
Christina Pavlock
What?

Elements of
Print and Book
Awareness:
•
Functions of
Print
•
Conventions
of Print
Book
Conventions
•


Print awareness is understanding and
appreciation of the forms and the functions
of print.
Students with print awareness know how to
handle a book, where on a page to begin
reading, and the difference between a
letter and a word.
Knowing that printed words are symbols
for words in spoken language helps
students to bridge the gap between oral
and written language.
Why?

Adults
sometimes
forget that
children have
to learn the
most basic
conventions
that govern
written
language, such
as spaces that
separate
words.
--Burns, Griffin
& Snow, 1999

A child’s awareness of the forms,
functions, and uses of print provides the
foundation upon which reading and
writing abilities are built.
Assessments measuring a child’s
understanding of print concepts have
successfully predicted future reading
success.
When?

Keep in mind
that many
children enter
school quite
well versed in
the nature and
purpose of
print, so print
concepts
instruction
should be
provided only
for those
children who
need it. –
Vellutino, 2003



Print knowledge is acquired by most children
during the preschool years.
In preschool and Kindergarten, the
enhancement of students’ print awareness
should be a central goal.
In Kindergarten assess print awareness three
times: in the fall, winter, and spring. The
lowest-achieving students should receive help
and careful monitoring for the first six months
of school.
By the end of Kindergarten, students should
have developed basic concepts of print.
How?
Since too much
print
referencing
during reading
can detract
from students’
enjoyment,
Justice and
Ezell (2004)
suggest three
to five print
references
during the
reading of a
story book.



Print referencing is a read-aloud strategy
that can be used to direct students’
attention to the forms, features, and
functions of written language.
The strategy is most effective if it is used
with big books or regular-sized illustrated
storybooks in which print is a highly
noticeable feature.
Print referencing cues can be nonverbal or
verbal.
Print-Referencing Cues





Ask questions about print.
Make comments about
print.
Pose requests about print.
Point to print when talking
about the story.
Track print when reading.
Components of a Lesson




Talking about books:
cover, title, author, and
illustrator.
Text directionality.
Concept of word.
Observation and
assessment of
benchmarks.
Conclusion



Print awareness plays an integral part in the process of
learning to read; it is a child’s earliest introduction to
literacy.
Print awareness does not emerge automatically or unaided.
Active intervention by adults who point out the conventions
and features of print and printed materials is important.
Promote print awareness in your classroom by creating a
print-rich classroom environment, providing plenty of readaloud experiences, and embedding print-referencing cues in
shared storybook reading.
Honig, Bill, et al. “Print Awareness.” Teaching Reading Sourcbook. Novato: Arena, 2008. 72-82.