Literacy Through Play

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Literacy Through Play

• First Book/ECRTR Meetings
• August, 2011

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Play
Dramatic Play
Blocks
Music
Puppets
Sports
Board Games
Outdoor Games
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Play and Brain Development

• Exploratory Play
• Constructive Play
• Dramatic Play

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Dramatic Play

• Concrete object Abstract idea
• Marks on the page Message

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Function vs. Feature of Print

• Function
• Reason or purpose of print

• Feature
• Letter-sound relationship
• Structure of grammar
• Meaning

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Four Major Functions

• Environmental Print
• Occupational Print
• Informational Print
• Recreational Print

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Literacy Development Through Dramatic Play

• Allows children to experiment with purposes for
  literacy that theyve seen at home
• Allows children to recognize that different tasks
  require different texts
• Allows children to produce a wide variety of
  texts
• Builds comprehension by allowing children to act
  out familiar stories/scenarios

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Play Literacy is Purposeful

• Play Area

• Play Literacy Area

• Sink, stove, dishes, table, refrigerator, food,
  aprons, place settings

• Kitchen Recipe cards, grocery list, books about
  food or cookbooks
• Pizza shop or restaurant menus, cash register,
  money, step-by-step instructions for making
  pizza, books about making pizza or nutrition

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Play Literacy is Purposeful

• Play Area

• Play Literacy Area

• Stethoscope, doctors bag, pill bottles, pretend
  syringes, blood pressure cuff

• Doctors office clipboards, check-up checklist,
  x-rays, prescription pads, baby dolls, bandages,
  magazines for waiting area, books on bodies
• Veterinary clinic exchange stuffed animals for
  babies, books on pets

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Play Literacy _at_ your library

• How can your library support literacy through
  play?

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On-site Play Area

• Theme
• Props
• Environmental print
• Functions of print
• Social interaction
• Books or other library resources
• Storage

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Shari Sloane www.kidscount1234.com

• Props
• Environmental print
• Functions of print
• Social interaction
• Books or other library resources
• Storage

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Restaurant
http//dbsenk.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/dramatic-pl
ay-center-ideas/
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American Falls

• Props
• Environmental print
• Functions of print
• Social interaction
• Books or other library resources
• Storage

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Grocery
http//blogs.scholastic.com/classroom_solutions/20
10/11/literacy-kindergarten-dramatic-play-centers-
housekeeping-grocery-store.html
http//www.printablekidsplaymoneytemplates.com/tag
/editable-money-template/
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No room, budget, or staff time to create a
dramatic play area in your library space?
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Prop Boxes

• Theme
• Props
• Functions of print
• Social interaction
• Books or other library resources
• Storage

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Prop Boxes

• Bins and tubs
• Trunks and suitcases
• In-house use
• Library staff
• Parents
• Outreach
• Child Care Providers/Teachers

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Outreach

• Deposit programs
• Check-out
• Site-visits

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Madison Public Library (WI)

• Props
• Environmental print
• Functions of print
• Social interaction
• Books or other library resources
• Storage

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Getting started
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Resources

• Literacy-Building Play in Preschool Lit Kits,
  Prop Boxes, and Other Easy-to-Make Tools to Boost
  Emergent Reading and Writing Skills Through
  Dramatic Play, by V. Susan Bennett-Armistead,
  2009.

• Literacy Play Over 300 Dramatic Play Activities
  That Teach Pre-Reading Skills, by Sherrie West
  and Amy Cox, 2004.

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Additional Resources

• Literacy Through Play, by Gretchen Owocki, 1999.
• Scholastic classroom blog Literacy in
  Kindergarten Dramatic Play Centers
  http//blogs.scholastic.com/classroom_solutions/20
  10/11/literacy-kindergarten-dramatic-play-centers-
  housekeeping-grocery-store.html
• Kindergarten Nana Dramatic Play Center Ideas
• http//dbsenk.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/dramatic-pl
  ay-center-ideas/
• Shari Sloane, Dramatic Play Centers
  http//www.kidscount1234.com/play.html
• Education World The Prop Box--Setting the Stage
  for Meaningful Play http//www.educationworld.com/
  a_curr/profdev/profdev101.shtml
• Madison Public Library Play Literacy
  http//www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/kids/play-lite
  racy