Literacy

Young children need writing to help them learn about reading, they need reading to help them learn about writing; and they need oral language to help them learn about both.

A literacy-enriched environment is one of the most effective ways to make literacy activities meaningful and enjoyable for children. At Parachute Express Playschool, we link literacy and play by engaging children in rich conversations in large group, small group, and one-to-one settings. Our teachers listen, respond and value what children have to say.

We read aloud to our children many times a day, exposing children to numerous enjoyable stories, poems, and information books in a well-designed library center, stocked with a wide selection of good books. We provide supportive conversations and activities before, during and after reading, as well as repeated reading of favorite books building familiarity. We provide opportunities for children to investigate topics that are of interest to them.

At Parachute Express Playschool, we create an environment rich with phonological awareness activities that increase children’s awareness of the sounds of language, by playing games and listening to stories, poems, and songs that involve rhyme. Alphabet activities that engage children with materials that promote identification of the letters of the alphabet, including ABC books, magnetic letters, alphabet blocks and puzzles and alphabet charts. Direct instruction to teach letter names that have personal meaning to children is also part of our curriculum.

Our preschool classroom encourages and supports children to use emergent forms of writing by providing a well stocked and easily accessible writing center. Our educators share writing demonstrations in which the teacher writes down text dictated by children.