What is the practice?
Toddlers make the connection between print (pictures, letters, words) and what the print represents by having opportunities to explore print material, including magazines, catalogs, and shopping fyers with an adult who explains the relationship between the words and their meaning. Even when there aren’t books around, these materials can be used in your daily routines to help doddlers develop an interest in and familiarity with the many uses of print. Children must develop this understanding of symbols and print before they can learn to “decode” or “read” letters and words.
What does the practice look like?
Making the link between print and its meaning happens whenever you and your toddler are interacting with pictures or print from catalogs, magazines, grocery fyers, newspapers, newsletters, etc. Using these materials to cut out pictures or words for making simple stories or shopping lists are examples of activities you can use to talk about what the words and pictures mean.
How do you do the practice?
There are many different opportunities for learning about print. These include looking at shopping fyers, magazines, books, newspapers; or signs on buildings or roads.
How do you know the practice worked?
- Does your toddler want to look at and talk about magazines or shopping fyers with you?
- Does your toddler seem pleased about his attempts to “read” printed material?
- Does your toddler ask you about the words and pictures in the magazines or fyers?
- Start by identifying which type of print material is most interesting to your toddler. Some children are attracted to colorful materials, while others like paper that has a slick fnish.
- There are many activities you can do with printed materials. For example, help your toddler fnd pictures in a grocery store fyer of foods he likes best. Then, cut them out, and tape or paste them on a paper for his “menu.”
- Encourage your toddler to sit with you at the computer as you browse children’s Web sites. Searching children’s Web sites on the Internet will help you fnd appropriate sites about those things your child fnds interesting. As you go through the Web sites, when something catches your child’s attention, stop and read what is written while showing him what you are reading. This helps your child make the connection between the words and the real thing.
- Encourage your toddler to identify what he sees in a magazine. For example, if he sees a picture of a duck, show him the word “duck” on the page.
- Show your toddler that he did well by smiling and commenting on his efforts. Your toddler is more likely to stay involved with a little encouragement from you.
More fun with magazines and catalogs
Grocery-Store Fun
When waiting in line at the grocery store, 34-month-old Chloe and her mom take the opportunity to look at the fyers and magazines. When Chloe is sitting in the grocery store shopping cart seat, her mom will point to a picture on a magazine in the rack and ask Chloe, “What do you think this girl is doing?” Or, fnding an A in big type, Chloe’s mom will ask her, “What letter is that?” Mom knows her daughter enjoys the activity since Chloe will point to something and ask, “What’s that?”
Shopping Flyer
Every week, Courtney’s grandmother pulls out the grocery fyer from the junk mail. Sometimes when Grandma has a few minutes, she asks 30-month-old Courtney if she wants to help make the grocery list. If Courtney says yes, she gets the fyer, the scissors, paper, and tape. Grandma asks her what she wants to buy at the store. Courtney cuts the pictures out and Grandma helps her tape them on the paper. She knows Courtney enjoys this activity because she wants to take her picture list when they go to the grocery store.
Ads Add Interest
Shayla, who has moderate hearing loss, sometimes has a hard time letting her dad know what she wants. Each week when the ads come in the Sunday paper, Shayla picks a few to look at and brings them to her dad. Together, using the pictures, they sign and talk about what special items Shayla would like that week from the grocery store, and what appeals to her in the toy ads. They often use this as a way to learn new words and ideas. When they go to the grocery store, Shayla likes to bring the ads from home and make sure her dad fnds the special items they’ve circled.
