Children need years of adult support building early literacy skills in order to learn to read when they start school. Our programming centers on five key skills that provide a strong foundation for later learning. Let’s take a deeper look at one: shape and letter knowledge.
“It’s easy for us as adults to forget that letters on a page–to [a child] who’s just learning that print carries meaning–are just marks and symbols on the paper,” says Emily Gallardo, who works on The Story Project, our educator professional development program. “Part of what we mean by letter knowledge is helping students understand that those marks carry meaning.”
The Story Project provides insights like these to early childhood educators through professional development and coaching. Emily and her teammates help educators recognize what they’re already doing well and build new ways to develop children’s skills–like integrating learning into routines. Emily suggests educators can develop letter knowledge by inviting children to line up by the first letters of their names during transitions.
Family Literacy Specialist Danyelle Moreno highlighted the importance of shape recognition as a precursor to letter recognition.
“Studies have shown that if you can recognize shapes it’s easier for you to recognize letters,” she shares. “They’ll associate a triangle with the letter A or a circle with the letter O.”
As a Family Literacy Specialist working on Story School, Danyelle models early literacy skillbuilding to families. In addition to providing two books each session to support letter knowledge at home, Family Literacy Specialists model activities tailored by age to extend learning and keep children engaged. For shape recognition, Danyelle gives families shape templates and playdough for children to form the shapes, deepening their familiarity.
And when children begin to learn letters, there’s a clear place to start.
“A child’s name is the word they hear and see most in early childhood,” Emily explains. “It’s the word that means the most to them, so it’s the best place to start.”
To develop letter knowledge using a child’s name, Danyelle has parents and children work together to find stickers with objects whose first letters match the letters in the child’s name. By starting with their names, kids set off to learn the 18 letters they should know by 5 years old!
For more tips and activities to build shape and letter knowledge, download the Make Way for Books App.