Strategy 3: Connect real-life experiences to literacy activities.
What to do
- Identify child's likes and interests and use as basis for planning literacy activities
- In the child's daily routines and activities draw attention to words and text in the environment (e.g. Point out labels on food packages, point out doctor's name on door, McDonald's logo)
- Think about what the child is already doing at home, at school or in the community and how to make it a literacy activity
- Introduce print/braille vocabulary to match objects in child's calendar box or schedule
- Create experience books about naturally occurring activities using objects or partial objects to represent the activity
- Read child's experience books with him or her multiple times (before and after the activity, to tell someone else about the activity, at home)
- Make sure the child has access to the experience book during leisure times
- Read signs and/or communications cards before/during/after community-based instruction
Things to consider
- Does the child know/understand the concepts that relate to the literacy activity?
- Are you communicating key words and phrases during daily routines?
- Is the team, including family, communicating in a consistent manner?
- Is there an expectation that the child respond?
Always Ask Yourself
