To increase your child’s print awareness, run your finger under the words of the title as you say it. This helps children understand that you are reading the text, not the pictures. If you choose a book with only a few words on each page, you can point to the words as you say them. Try these books with minimal words and large text: Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting, Lunch by Denise Fleming and City Street by Douglas Florian.

–Tip by Barb M., Youth Programming and Outreach Assistant

Throughout the day, you can help your children see the relationship between written and spoken words by pointing out environmental print, such as signs and labels. For example, even if your children can’t read the word “STOP,” they can associate the symbol of the sign with the meaning of the word. This is a way of developing print awareness—one of the six early literacy skills that help children get ready to read.

–Tip by Brad J., Youth Technology Librarian

When you’re picking out books to read with your child, try choosing one with pictures of real things, like an apple or a ball.  Show your child the picture of the object and then show the real thing.  This will help your child develop the concept that pictures represent real things, and, later on, the concept that written words represent real things.  This is all part of print awareness. 

Print Awareness means learning about books and print.  When children are young, they treat books as they would any other toy.  This means they put them in their mouths, explore them by pushing and pulling, and become interested in the pictures.  Keep some books in your child’s toy box.  Let your child handle the books and talk about what you see in the pictures.  This will help your child develop print awareness. 

–Tip by Mary S., Youth Services Department Head