Early Literacy Resources

I love early literacy - it is an area I am passionate about, and I am always looking for creative ways to teach it. Early literacy is so much more than just ABC's. I was fortunate enough to work in an early childhood centre a few years ago that had Barbara Brann's Casey The Caterpillar programme, and Barbara Brann came over and did a few Professional Development sessions with us. She is amazing. If you ever get a chance to look at her work, or to have her come to your centre, it is certainly worth it. I have learnt so much from her and continue to use what she has taught me - and I have so much more to learn from her.

One of the crucial things she talks about regarding literacy are the 5 domains: Thinking; Looking: Movement; Talking; and Print. There are so many skills that make up the foundation of literacy which children need to be able to do, before learning their ABC's or learning to read or write.  I am not going to go into it here, but I just wanted to share some resources I created which help support the development of the various domains - and they are super easy to make.

Spot The Difference

 This activity supports visual discernment. Are they the same,  or is one facing a different way? Which one is not the same? Why? Children need to be able to identify which one is different out of a group of 3, and say why.  This was simply made using black mat board, and a white outliner paint. You can get the same effect by using any container with a nozzle, and filling it with a mixture of PVA and acrylic paint - white paint for black mat board or black paint for white mat board. I cut the matboard into squares, and made simple shapes/lines which I repeated, to make sets of 3.

 Sensory Boards

 These are tactile boards for children to be able to touch. They offer a range of sensations. I simply used squares of matboard, and gathered up a selection of fabrics and ribbons which I glued on:
Ribbon
Yarn, wool, and string
Flocked paper
Buttons
Mesh
Corrugated card
Fur fabric
Leather
Suede
Velvet

Colour Matching Cards

 This is a game I created using colour chips from the hardware store, a decorative punch, and black mat board.
The idea is to support visual discernment by finding the matching colours.

I collected a range of colour chips from the local hardware shop, and punched two flowers out of them.
I drew a grid on the mat board (I think the squares were 5cmx5cm) and glued the flowers in the centre of each square. Then I used the guillotine to chop them into squares.

 These are the cards after I guillotined them.

 I set up the game on the table for children to play. You could do it face down, and make it into a memory game, but I began with the flowers face up, so that the children could see the colours to distinguish between them.

Threading the Taniwha

This activity supports fine motor skills and patterning. I drew taniwha's; the children coloured them in and then cut them out; I punched a hole in one side and tied laces to them; the children threaded the cotton reels (or beads) onto the taniwha's 'body'.

Lines

Lines. Children need to be able to follow a line before they can begin to read in a straight line or write in writing books. Some children need support with following a line, and this is one way I help them.

This is simply lines and shapes painted on a table (using acrylic paint which washes off) and plates of shells, pebbles, lids, pompoms etc for children to place along the lines or in between the lines. It just lets them play and explore lines.

 Pattern Cards

I created these pattern cards to inspire and hopefully stimulate pattern work; drawing patterns and lines; making up their own patterns. It shows children different ways to fill in space. I made these pattern cards using white outliner paint on black mat board. You can use a bottle with a nozzle, and a mixture of PVA and paint. PVA helps to create a raised outline which is tactile and nice to touch when it is dry - perfect for running your fingers over to feel it. I cut the matboard into squares and painted a different design on each square.



You can get matboard from your local picture framers or art store. Our local picture framer makes up 'Kindy Bags', full of matboard scraps which they give away to local childcare centres, as otherwise they throw it away. Check with your local picture framer if they have matboard scraps which they could give you.

Click on the link for more of my teaching resources