Environmental Print  

Environmental print is the print all around us.  It’s the print we recognize because of the shapes, pictures and colors.  It’s the first print a child recognizes as literacy skills begin to emerge.

Here are some ways we use environmental print:

*Divide a bulletin board into 26 sections...one for each letter of the alphabet.  Have students bring in labels, boxes, sacks, etc. to add to the board under the beginning letter.  Students may use this display during read and write the room time.

*Have children bring in cereal boxes.  Graph favorites.  Pick one per day to focus on, beginning with the class favorite.  Notice everything about the box:  How many words in the name, what are the other words, how many letters, how many vowels, etc.  Give students letters in the cereal name.  Have them get in order and spell the name of the cereal.  You may want to assign a traffic director to help students get in the right order.  Students draw the box adding as much detail as possible and write the name of the cereal.  Create a display of the cereal boxes.

*The same thing can be done with candy wrappers and fast food sacks.

*Make a book out of cereal boxes (cut the top off and put on rings), candy wrappers (mount on index cards and laminate) and sacks. 

*Make a memory game out of candy wrappers mounted on index cards.

*Walk around school…inside and outside with a digital camera.  Take pictures of exit signs, stop signs, etc.  Bring back to room and make a display or book: “Can you Read This?”   I actually bought these signs, but you could use digital pictures.

*Environmental Print puzzles:  Cut the front of boxes into pieces to make a puzzle.

*T-shirt Week.  Assign children a day to wear a team t-shirt.  Look at 3 or 4 shirts per day and notice the print on the shirt.  Children may draw and write their favorite shirt.

*Coupons from newspaper and advertising fliers may be used to read, make into a book, make a classifying game, etc.