Universal Practice Guides for Practitioners

These guides can be used by early childhood educators, child care providers, early interventionists, and other early childhood practitioners for promoting infants’, toddlers’, and preschoolers’ literacy learning using interest-based and highly engaging activities.

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Infants        Toddlers        Preschoolers

Infant Practice Guides

Literacy-Rich Experiences - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can arrange environments in order to encourage infants to listen, communicate, and begin to develop the skills that are the building blocks for early literacy.

Alphabet Exposure - This practice guide illustrates different ways to introduce the letters of the alphabet to infants.

Print Awareness and Reading - These practice guides illustrate how to introduce books to infants to encourage them to listen, communicate, and eventually participate in storytelling and book reading.

Pre-Emergent Writing - These practice guides include simple activities that can be used to encourage infants’ beginning scribbling and drawing.

Sound Awareness - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can promote infants’ abilities to listen and notice different sounds.

Vocalizing and Listening - These practice guides include activities that practitioners can use to encourage infants’ to make sounds, develop listening skills, and eventually use words to communicate.

Nonverbal Communication and Signing - These practice guides highlight ways that practitioners can help infants communicate their wants and needs to others using gestures and signs.

Toddler Practice Guides

Literacy-Rich Experiences - These practice guides illustrate how practitioners can arrange environments to encourage toddlers to listen, communicate, and develop the skills needed for early literacy.

Alphabet Awareness - These practice guides illustrate ways to introduce the letters of the alphabet to toddlers to develop beginning skills for recognizing letters.

Storytelling and Listening - These practice guides illustrate ways to introduce books to toddlers to encourage them to listen, communicate, and actively participate in storytelling and book reading.

Emergent Writing - These practice guides include activities that practitioners can use to promote toddlers’ abilities to scribble and draw.

Sound and Phonemic Awareness - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can enhance toddlers’ abilities to distinguish different sounds and phonemes.

Talking and Listening - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can promote toddlers’ use of spoken words and their development of early listening skills.

Nonverbal Communication and Signing - This practice guide highlights the ways that practitioners can help toddlers communicate their wants and needs to others using gestures and signs.

Preschooler Practice Guides

Literacy-Rich Experiences - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can arrange environments to encourage preschoolers to listen, communicate, and develop the skills needed for later literacy.

Alphabet Knowledge - These practice guides illustrate ways to familiarize preschoolers with the letters of the alphabet and promote beginning letter recognition.

Reading and Print Awareness - These practice guides illustrate how practitioners can use books with preschoolers to enhance their listening skills and active participation in storytelling and book reading.

Invented Spelling and Writing - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can promote preschoolers’ abilities to write and spell.

Phonological Awareness - This practice guide illustrates the ways that practitioners can promote preschoolers’ abilities to distinguish different sounds and phonemes.

Talking and Listening - These practice guides illustrate ways that practitioners can promote preschoolers’ use of spoken words and enhance their listening skills.

Signing - This practice guide highlights the ways practitioners can help preschoolers communicate their needs and ideas using sign language.

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