Concepts of Print is an awareness of how print works and how it looks. Print is made up of letters, the letters correspond to sounds and words, and text is read from left to right across the page.

Research has shown that awareness of the forms, functions and uses of print provides not just the motivation, but the backdrop against which reading and writing may best be learned. Basic knowledge about print generally appears to serve as the foundation upon which orthographic (letters) and phonological (sounds) skills are built.

Some of the basic concepts about print include: directionality (that readers and writers move from left to right and top to bottom); spacing (used to separate words); recognition of words and letters; connection between spoken and written language; understanding the function of punctuation; sequencing and locating skills; and searching for cues from different sources.

At the end of this part of the program most children will have mastered the concepts of print. When we read from big books we point to the words as we read them. Our clusters have word walls and we do word activities for thematic words and high frequency words.

Reading is for learning and enjoyment. You may want to use the following suggestions with your child. We do not intend them to be used with every book you read with your child. As you read with your child you can help by talking about the following concepts:

Book Handling Skills

Print Awareness

retell the story’s beginning, middle and end after hearing it read to him or her.

Questions? Please contact the Student Services Center.
Last updated: December 08, 2000.