One of the easiest ways to incorporate early reading into your classroom or home is print saturation. The more a child is exposed to words and print, the more they absorb into their little sponge minds.
There are so many benefits to creating a print rich environment besides just encouraging early reading. By labeling objects you are showing the children that words have meanings and encouraging them to recognize letters and common words. It’s similar to label recognition, for example most two year olds know what the Walmart logo says because they have seen it enough to associate the name with the logo. The same would apply if they see the word door everyday, they will begin to associate the letters d o o r with door.
A few simple suggestions for incorporating labels into the classroom setting:
Labels should be written in a simple easy to read font with proper spelling and grammar.
ie: just “coat” Not COAT or Coat.
No bubble or funny fonts.
Labels on toy shelves should be accompanied by imagery to help with organization and clean up. You can print images off the internet or cut them out of catalogs.
You can use clear contact paper to cover the labels and keep them protected from little hands. Toddlers love to peel signs off and even the older children will eventually pull off an unprotected label.
Clear contact paper also works to make a word wall on the wall itself. Cut pictures out of magazines to go along with a theme such as plants and print the word.
If you place the labels on ahead of time, instead of reading each of them to the children, see if they can tell you what they think the word might say.
Free printable label set to get you started:
I included a few blanks for you to write in the children’s names or other labels you may need.
