Fall into Literacy: Using The Autumn Season to Support Early Literacy Skills

The Autumn season offers numerous opportunities to support early literacy development with its vibrant colors, exciting holidays, and cozy atmosphere.  Educators and families can maximize children’s natural curiosity and excitement of this time of year to create meaningful and engaging literacy experiences. Incorporating seasonal themes into literacy activities helps children connect learning to their real world which makes the process more enjoyable and impactful. Let’s explore how you can use fall-themed activities to promote early literacy skills.

1. Autumn Themed Storytelling and Retelling

Storytelling is a powerful strategy for developing children’s oral language and comprehension skills. Fall-themed books and stories, such as those about leaves changing color, apple picking, or Halloween adventures, can capture children’s interest and motivate them to engage with texts.

According to a study by Wasik et al. (2020), engaging children in storytelling and retelling activities improves children’s comprehension, vocabulary, and ability to sequence events. Using stories with familiar fall elements helps children build connections between the text and their experiences which further enhances their understanding.

Activity Idea:

• Read-Aloud & Retelling: Choose a fall-themed book (e.g., The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown) for a read-aloud session. After reading, encourage children to retell the story by 1) using props (e.g., toy scarecrows, pumpkins, or leaves),  2) acting it out  with costumes, or  3) having a puppet show to develop their narrative skills in a playful and imaginative way.

Resource: Storyline Online offers free video read-alouds that can support interactive storytelling.

2. Fall Nature Walks and Vocabulary Building

Fall brings an abundance of new sights, sounds, and textures, providing the perfect backdrop for building vocabulary. A 2022 study by Zucker et al. found that hands-on, experiential learning activities, such as nature walks, significantly enhanced children’s vocabulary development, especially when paired with rich language input from educators.

Activity Idea:

• Nature Walk & Word Hunt: Take children on a nature walk and encourage them to collect fall-themed objects like leaves, acorns, or pinecones. Back in the classroom or at home, create a “Fall Word Wall” by writing down descriptive words (e.g., crunchy, orange, smooth) associated with the items they found. Discuss the new words and their meanings to expand vocabulary.

Resource: PBS Learning Media has excellent fall-themed vocabulary activities and printable resources for PK and up.

3. Phonemic Awareness with Fall Rhymes and Songs

Phonemic awareness, the ability to hear and manipulate sounds in words, is a critical component of early literacy. Research by Castles et al. (2022) emphasizes that engaging children in playful, sound-based activities helps develop their ability to decode words as they begin reading.

Fall-themed songs and rhymes, such as “Five Little Pumpkins” or “The Leaves on the Trees,” are ideal for supporting phonemic awareness. Their repetition, rhyme, and rhythm  help children develop an ear for language.

Activity Idea:

• Pumpkin Rhyming: Use a small pumpkin and pass it around in a circle. Either an adult or a child (depending on  age and skill level) says a word that rhymes with “fall” or “leaf.” You can also provide themed rhyming pairs on cards (e.g., “bat” and “cat”) and help  children match them.

Resource: Reading Rockets provides activities and resources for rhyming games and phonemic awareness building. Just type what you are looking for in the search engine.

4. Pumpkin-Themed Writing and Letter Recognition

Writing activities can easily take on a fall theme by incorporating fall symbols (e.g., pumpkins, apples, etc.). Children’s fine motor skills and letter recognition are strengthened when they engage in hands-on writing exercises that spark their interest. A 2023 study by Rowe and Neitzel highlighted the benefits of themed, engaging writing activities in helping young children practice letter formation and sound-letter correspondence.

Activity Idea:

• Pumpkin Patch Letters: Create a “pumpkin patch” where each paper pumpkin has a different letter on it. Children can “pick” a pumpkin and practice writing that letter or finding objects in the room that start with the corresponding sound. This activity blends letter recognition with phonics! As with all activities, it is important to ensure your activities are developmentally appropriate for the children in your care. For example, this activity can be modified by having children draw, color, or paint on the pumpkins instead of letter writing while still exposing them to  letters and letter sounds.

Resource: The Measured Mom offers free printable fall-themed alphabet and writing activities.

5. Fall-Themed Interactive Read-Alouds

Interactive read-alouds, where children actively participate by answering questions, making predictions, or acting out parts of the story, promote comprehension and vocabulary growth. Research by Neuman et al. (2020) shows that interactive read-alouds are especially effective in boosting literacy skills when tied to engaging themes that capture children’s imaginations.

Activity Idea:

• Interactive Read-Aloud with Predictions: Choose a fall-themed book (e.g., Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert). Before reading, ask children to predict what the story will be about based on the cover. Pause throughout the story to ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Why did the character do that?” Encourage children to explain their thinking.

Resource: Scholastic’s Book Wizard https://bookwizard.scholastic.com/can help you find age-appropriate fall-themed books for read-alouds for grades PK and up.

6. Using Fall Art to Promote Early Writing Skills

Art is a meaningful way for children to express themselves and can serve as a bridge to writing. Pyle and Danniels (2023) found that when young children engage in creative art activities, they often narrate their creations, which leads to natural opportunities for early writing and literacy development.

Activity Idea:

• Leaf Collage & Story Writing: After collecting colorful fall leaves, children can make a leaf collage. Once their artwork is complete, ask them to dictate or write (depending on their skill level) a short story about their collage. This activity combines creativity with language development and helps children connect a visual representation with words.

Resource: Teachers Pay Teachers offers a variety of free fall-themed writing prompts and art activities that align with early literacy standards.

7. Engaging Families with Fall Literacy Activities

Families play a crucial role in reinforcing early literacy skills at home. According to Sonnenschein and Metzger (2021), when parents engage their children in literacy-related activities, such as shared reading or storytelling, it enhances children’s early reading skills and fosters a positive attitude toward reading.

Activity Idea:

• Fall Reading Challenge: Send home a “Fall Reading Challenge” where families are encouraged to read a selection of fall-themed books together. Create a bingo board with different reading activities (e.g., “Read a book about pumpkins,” “Read a book under a blanket”).

Resource: Scholastic Parents offers family engagement tips and fall-themed book lists to encourage literacy at home.

The fall season provides a variety of themes and activities that can be leveraged to support early literacy skills in fun and effective ways. Young learners have the chance to connect literacy with the changing world around them when engaging in  fall themed interactive read-alouds, nature walks, and  pumpkin-themed writing and phonemic awareness games. Incorporating fall-themed activities can nurture a love of reading and writing that lasts beyond the season.

References

• Wasik, B. A., et al. (2020). “Interactive read-alouds and their impact on children’s vocabulary and comprehension.” Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 52, 71-83.
• Zucker, T. A., et al. (2022). “The power of experiential learning in early childhood literacy development.” Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 22(2), 245-268.
• Castles, A., et al. (2022). “Phonemic awareness and its role in early reading development: A review.” Reading Research Quarterly, 57(1), 35-56.
• Rowe, D., & Neitzel, C. (2023). “Engaging early writers: Themed writing activities in preschool and kindergarten.” Journal of Literacy Research, 55(1), 10-25.
• Pyle, A., & Danniels, E. (2023). “Play-based learning and literacy outcomes in early childhood education.” Early Years, 43(2), 156-172.
• Sonnenschein, S., & Metzger, S. R. (2021). “The influence of home literacy practices on children’s early reading skills.” Early Childhood Education Journal, 49(3), 343-356.