Literacy Rich Environments

Research affirms that a literacy rich environment promotes the development of literacy skills.  You can create an accessible literacy rich environment by:

1. Providing a wide variety of print, reading, writing, and electronic materials.
2. Adapting literacy materials to meet children’s individual needs (e.g., pencil grips, page turning devices, Velcro, etc.)
3. Balancing informational and narrative texts.
4. Modeling the functional purposes of print, reading, and writing (e.g., pointing out signs, making lists of materials, reading a recipe, etc.).
5. Adding literacy materials to learning centers ( Learning Centers’ Literacy Materials List ).
6. Including a variety of props in lessons, activities, and learning centers.
7. Embedding materials in natural and functional ways (e.g., paper and pencils for notes, pictures for shopping lists, etc.) with time for children to “read” and  “write” for self-selected purposes.
8. Scheduling opportunities for children to self-select texts and “read” independently.
9. Making culturally responsive choices by selecting materials that include ethnic, racial, ability, linguistic, and familial diversity.

Remember that the conversations we have with children within these environments is pivotal. See  previous Early Literacy Blog posts ( Words, words, words! and Oral Language Development Beyond Vocabulary Building ) for information about building children’s vocabularies and engaging them in conversations.

TY – JOURAU – Justice, Laura AU – Pullen, Paige PY – 2003/09/01SP – 99EP – 113 T1 – Promising Interventions for Promoting Emergent Literacy Skills: Three Evidence-Based Approaches
VL – 23 DO – 10.1177/02711214030230030101 JO – Topics in Early Childhood Special Education – TOP EARLY CHILD SPEC EDUC ER

Literacy-Rich Environments, The Access Center Improving Outcomes for All Students K-8, IDEAs that Work Office of Special Education Programs

Ask a question today!

Lynne Hall is a research associate at the Indiana Institute on Disability & Community’s Early Childhood Center. She holds a Master of Science in Education and an Indiana instructional teaching license (Early Childhood Education and Services; Elementary/Primary Generalist; Elementary/Intermediate Generalist). She formerly taught preschool in a variety of settings for over 15 years. Her expertise includes early literacy instruction and inclusive preschool classroom practices. Email her at hallma@iu.edu