Every Child Ready to Read: Playing

On Tuesday I presented an hour long workshop at Parent Connections focusing on play...and how play supports the development of early literacy skills.

Here are some of the information I shared with the --- parents who attended:

You may ask yourself, “How does playing help children get ready to read?”  The answer—in a lot of ways.  Today we will be talking about play and how it supports early literacy skills that help children read and become successful students.

Much research has been done in regarding to children and play.  I won’t bore you with all the details, but I want you to understand that the things we’re discussing today are based on research. 

Play for children is not just being left alone with toys.  Parents and caregivers are key in establishing meaningful and rich play that supports early literacy skills.

For this presentation play is NOT any kind of interaction with electronic devices:  TVs, DVDs, video games, computer games, iPads and other hand-held devices.  Research has shown that children need to be limited in the amount of screen time they have, for a variety of reasons…one of which is literacy development. 

Statement from American Academy of Pediatrics

“Children and teens should engage with entertainment media for no more than one or two hours per day, and that should be high-quality content. It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies, and using their imaginations in free play.

Television and other entertainment media should be avoided for infants and children under age 2. A child's brain develops rapidly during these first years, and young children learn best by interacting with people, not screens.”

The library has many resources about quality play for children including these books:

·         Unplugged Play

·         Playing Together

·         Baby Smarts

These will give you additional ideas of play activities to do with your child and play experiences for your child to engage in on their own or with other children. 

• Play with parent/adults
• Play with peers
• Play alone

High quality play—raising the level of play

Play that encourages language—talking, telling, explaining, negotiating, questioning, repeating…

Developing oral language skills has direct correlation to learning the written word.  The more words a child knows, the ability to rhyme, the ability to retell a story, identifying differences, and so forth all build a foundation for reading.          

Dramatic/pretend play is high level of play that supports the development of oral language—which supports written language.

Toys that encourage pretend play: dolls and stuffed animals, doctor kit, kitchen items, “tools”, doll house, puppets, dress-up, boxes, blocks, playdough

·        Using props imaginatively—boxes, blocks—as props to encourage more language (this is my phone, etc.)

                                Don’t always use realistic props

                                Use combination of realistic, symbolic, and unstructured props

·         Learning Symbolic Representation

                                Using objects that represent other objects (play dough for food, etc.)

Expanding Play Themes

                Introduce children to new settings and experiences

                                Field trips—out in the world!

Bakery, pizzeria, library, grocery store, bank, restaurant, zoo, farm, farmers market, forest, fire/police station, museum (not too long!), construction site

TALK while on the trip; ask questions; when you get home talk about these trips—what did they like? Questions so they can explain experience in their own words. Create play items around the experience

                                Carefully selected video clips (construction workers, spaceship, ocean, etc)

Parent’s role is to now help establish a way for children to “play” out the experience.  Children will need some support and encouragement to try something new.  Give children cookie cutters, cookie tray, pot holders, spatula, bowl, spoon, etc. so they can pretend bakery.  Offer paper and pens so children can make a menu for a restaurant.  Give them access to items they may not know about or have ready access to.  Often parents can get the kids started and then back away.  Adult interaction is important and good, but playing alone and just with peers is also important!  When playing with children don’t dominate the play—if child gets in a rut introduce a new element.  Encourage

Play around books

An additional way to add literacy into play!!

Sharing Books—similar story with different illustrations—act out stories (make own props, puppets, etc.), experiences related to book

Example:  Little Red Hen (language—same story with different characters/illustrations and slightly different words)

                Talk about the different animals in each story

                Play with wheat (sensory table), plant wheat

                Grind wheat

                Make bread (watch yeast)—kneading, watch rise, bake, cut, eat!

                Retell story—with props, stick puppets, etc.

Example:  Chicka Chicka Boom Boom

                Magnetic letters (on cookie sheet, fridge, etc.)
                Matching capital and lower case

                Write letters

                Re-read the book to self

Example:  I Love Bugs

                Connect with non-fiction book(s)

                Bug Counters—don’t have—cut out pictures to sort

                Magnifying glass – if they get tired of bugs, look at other things!

               

Example:  Mouse Paint

                Eye dropper/food coloring water

                Paint in Ziploc

                Fingerpaint