In order to build literacy skills, kids need to be motivated about literacy. If they have positive experiences sharing stories with you, going to the library, or finding a book they want to read at bedtime night after night, they are going to want to keep having fun. They are going to be motivated to learn how to read for themselves. Another thing that really comes into play with print motivation is being able to relate to stories, understand things that the characters may be doing, or recognizing where a story takes place. It's their background knowledge. Kids will be using their own experiences from every day life to help them understand stories. This will keep the excitement and the motivation going, and they will want to learn more. What I think is the most important thing about print motivation is for kids to see their adult role models (mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, teacher, librarian, etc.) have a good relationship with books and reading. If they see us having fun, they will want to do it too. Make sure your kids see you reading. Make sure they see you excited about reading. Work together to design a special reading space at home. Take them to the library. Bring them to a museum, zoo, or nature center and read the signs and info. Show them that words have meaning and they teach us things. Make it fun.
A really cool story about background knowledge and past experiences coming to life. My favorite picture book as a child and even now as an adult is Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. I loved the story about the mama duck and her little ducklings making their journey across Boston. When they settled in their home on mallard island in the middle of the pond in Boston Public Garden, I wanted to go their and see it. Luckily it is a real place and I got to see it for the first time in 2009. There are even statues of Mama Duck and Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack. Being there in person made my love for that story from my childhood come to life, even at the age of 30! Flash forward seven years when I was back in Boston Public Garden with my two kids. We had read the book together before, and my daughter's room even had pictures of the statues and a painting my grandma made. I could see things come to life in their eyes as they walked through the garden and played on the statues. They still talk about their vacation and the ducks, and reading that story together has become even more special. Being able to share that experience with my girls was amazing, totally unforgettable. Now when we read stories, they always want to know if it's a real place and if they can go there!
How can you make print motivation come alive with your kids? How can you use singing, talking, reading, writing, and playing part of the skill building process? Here are some ideas, but let your imagination carry you away to even more!
Singing:
Find books that are based on a song or have a lot of rhyming in them that you can use to make your own tune. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes, and Pete the Cat Rockin' in My School Shoes come to mind almost immediately, but then again, I love and adore Eric Litwin. Any of his books have the rhyme and repetition you need to start singing and having fun. Those books also cover things like subtraction, colors, and a typical school day. You can have a killer storytime party with Eric Litwin books. The Nuts? Groovy Joe? Oh the fun you will have! Print Motivation achieved!
Talking:
Talk about books you read. Talk about the characters. What are they doing? What do they like? Are they doing things that you like to do? Have a conversation. Ask questions. Enjoy the responses.
Reading:
Take your kids to the library and have them pick out books. See what catches their eye. Have your own storytime at home. Let them be the storytime leader. Even if they don't know how to read the words yet, they can "read" the pictures. Have them look at the pictures and describe what they think is happening in the story.
Writing:
Draw a picture of something from the story or something that you have done in the past you remember after reading the story. Drawing gives kids the chance to hold pencils, crayons, and markers, and practice "writing" on paper.
Playing:
The best way to build a variety of background knowledge is to go out and experience life and all that it has to offer. Go to the playground and pretend you are in a castle. Play dress-up and perform your own stories. Visit the zoo and make up backstories for the animals. This can be just about anything! Enjoy!
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