Page 80 - Reading Nest - The Supportive Literacy Environment Handbook

The teacher with children could explore and read a range of printed media (newspaper

adverts on exhibition opening times and ticket prices), reference books, game rules, crafting

instructions, guidelines of use, traffic rules, cookery books, dictionaries, programmes,
tickets of performances, flyers etc., and encourage and stimulate the use and creation of

such texts in their games.

In order to create a wide range of texts, one needs basic literacy (letters, letter-sound

connection and orthography) and a host of other knowledge. Kindergarten teachers who

employ active learning methods, know that for many children knowledge and skills
regarding different functions of written text both precede as well as follow formal literacy

(or evolve simultaneously). This is proved by a number of research results.

3-aastase kiri emmele. Foto õpetaja Eveline Sarapuu.

Children in crèche (18-36 months) can ‘write a letter’ to Santa or a tooth fairy, make an

advert for a spring party, and excitedly explain that “it says to come to our party, and it is
nice, and here it says what time and where and it is all free”. Even though the sheet of paper

only shows wave-like scribbles without any proper letters, young writers already have a

certain understanding of what the advert is for and what information it should contain.
Functions of literacy – everything one can do when reading or writing – come in huge

numbers and may be classified in many ways.