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Activities for incorporating literacy into playful activities

1. Storytelling with Puppets

Objective: Build oral language, comprehension, and sequencing skills.

Activity:
Set up a puppet theater or provide simple sock or paper bag puppets. Read a familiar story aloud, then encourage children to retell the story using puppets. You can model first, then have them act out scenes, using their own words.

Literacy Benefits:

Encourages narrative skills

Reinforces story structure (beginning, middle, end)

Builds vocabulary and expressive language

2. Alphabet Scavenger Hunt

Objective: Develop letter recognition and phonemic awareness.

Activity:
Hide letters (magnetic, foam, or paper) around the classroom or playground. Give students clues or riddles to find each letter. Once found, they name the letter, say its sound, and name a word that begins with that letter.

Literacy Benefits:

Reinforces letter-sound correspondence

Encourages active engagement and movement

Promotes word retrieval and phonics skills

3. Write-the-Room with Themes

Objective: Encourage environmental print awareness and beginning writing.

Activity:
Place theme-based word cards (e.g., animals, food, transportation) around the room. Give each child a clipboard and writing sheet. As they move around the room, they find and copy the words into their "discovery notebook" or draw matching pictures.

Literacy Benefits:

Encourages writing in a meaningful context

Supports vocabulary development

Helps connect print to real-life objects

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Key strategies from the video

1. Promote back-and-forth social interaction

Language learning thrives in responsive, shared interactions—pointing, labeling, commenting, and asking open-ended questions encourage active engagement.

Live, reciprocal interactions are especially powerful—more so than passive exposure via video or audio alone HeadStart.gov.

2. Embrace and support the home language

Use the child’s home language confidently in daily routines, songs, and conversations.

Research backs bilingualism’s cognitive and social benefits; reinforcing home language fosters identity and sense-of-belonging .

3. Use visuals, props, and real-life contexts

Incorporate gestures, photos, bilingual books, thematic word visuals, everyday objects—and point to them as you speak.

Visuals paired with speech aid comprehension and support vocabulary growth

4. Foster two-way communication with families

Engage on an ongoing basis: ask caregivers about cultural routines, preferred words/phrases, songs or stories from home.

Ensure materials (newsletters, key info) are translated or accessible in the family's preferred language.

5. Celebrate bilingualism and cultural diversity

Read bilingual books, play music in multiple languages, invite families to share songs or stories.

Show that multilingualism and different cultural traditions are valued strengths—not challenges.

Tips for families and caregivers to get started

1. Talk frequently and responsively Narrate what you’re doing (“I’m washing the apple…”) and wait for responses.

2. Use home language naturally. Mix languages in familiar settings—meals, playtime, bedtime stories.

3. Label surroundings Use picture labels or bilingual signs on toys, drawers, or doors.

4. Share cultural books and mediaRead books in both languages; listen to songs from each culture.

5. Invite family inputAsk caregivers to teach you key words, greetings, rituals, or songs.

By blending rich verbal interactions, consistent use of the home language, and culturally affirming practices, families and caregivers can construct nurturing environments that support dual language learners' emotional, social, and linguistic growth.

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How Can I Create A Language-rich Environment For Dual Language Learners? - Childhood Education Zone

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Additional resources that will enable families to enhance literacy through play at home.

1. Reading Rockets – Literacy at Home

Website: www.readingrockets.org

What it offers:

Activity ideas for reading, writing, and storytelling through play

Printables, games, and parent tips for building a reading-rich home

Bilingual resources in English and Spanish

2. Zero to Three – Playful Literacy Tips

Website: www.zerotothree.org

What it offers:

Research-based guidance on how babies and toddlers develop literacy

Play-centered activities like rhyming games, book handling, and language play

Video examples for families

3. PBS Kids for Parents – Reading and Writing Games

Website: https://www.pbs.org/parents

What it offers:

Literacy-themed games featuring familiar PBS characters (e.g., Elmo, Daniel Tiger)

Interactive story-building and word games

Tips for connecting TV time to reading time

4. Vroom App (by Bezos Family Foundation)

Website: www.vroom.org

What it offers:

Free mobile app that gives families daily brain-building tips tied to routines like mealtime, bath time, and bedtime

Promotes early literacy and language development through simple, playful prompts

Available in English and Spanish

5. The Hanen Centre – Let’s Play and Talk

Website: www.hanen.org

What it offers:

Parent-friendly guidance on how to use play to build vocabulary and conversation

Printable resources to support storytelling and turn-taking

Focus on dual language learners and children with communication delays

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Developmentally appropriate technology programs for children.

1. ABCmouse

Website: www.abcmouse.com

Age Range: 2–8 years
Focus Areas: Early literacy, math, science, art, and music

Why It’s Developmentally Appropriate:

Offers a structured, progressive curriculum aligned with early learning standards

Includes over 10,000 interactive activities like games, songs, puzzles, and read-aloud books

Children navigate the platform independently through visual prompts and voice guidance

Allows for self-paced learning, promoting autonomy and confidence

Bonus: ABCmouse is often free through schools and public libraries.

2. Starfall

Website: www.starfall.com

Age Range: Pre-K to Grade 3
Focus Areas: Phonics, reading, math, and social-emotional skills

Why It’s Developmentally Appropriate:

Based on phonics and designed for early readers with clear, simple graphics

Activities include songs, interactive stories, and early math games

Encourages active participation without overstimulating visuals or advertising

Promotes foundational skills through repetition, songs, and scaffolded activities

Bonus: Much of the content is free; full access available through low-cost memberships.

Both programs:

Are child-safe and ad-free

Align with early childhood education best practices

Support hands-on learning through digital interactivity without replacing real-world play and relationships

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Types of toys that will foster creativity and literacy development.

1. Storytelling Toys (e.g., Puppets, Felt Storyboards, Story Cubes)

Benefits:

Encourage children to create narratives, develop characters, and explore sequencing

Strengthen oral language, vocabulary, and comprehension skills

Promote imaginative thinking and self-expression

Example Activities:

Children retell a familiar story or make up their own using felt characters

Use story cubes to roll images and build a collaborative tale

Puppet shows to act out favorite books or original plots

2. Alphabet and Word-Building Toys (e.g., Magnetic Letters, Letter Blocks, Word Puzzles)

Benefits:

Help develop letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and early spelling skills

Allow hands-on manipulation, which supports kinesthetic learning

Encourage exploration of word formation and sound blending

Example Activities:

Spell names or sight words using magnetic letters on a board or fridge

Match letter blocks with objects around the room that start with the same sound

Use puzzles with words and pictures to reinforce vocabulary

3. Open-Ended Art Supplies (e.g., Crayons, Stamps, Paper, Reusable Drawing Boards)

Benefits:

Support pre-writing and fine motor development

Allow children to create their own books, signs, and labels

Inspire self-directed storytelling through drawing and pretend writing

Example Activities:

Create and illustrate a “mini book” with a beginning, middle, and end

Use stamps and letter stickers to label drawings or create messages

Make signs and menus for pretend play setups (e.g., grocery store, restaurant)

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References

Age of Learning, Inc. (n.d.). ABCmouse Early Learning Academy. https://www.abcmouse.com

Bezos Family Foundation. (n.d.). Vroom. https://www.vroom.org/

Literacy Together. (n.d.). Resources. https://www.lit-together.org/resources/

National Center for Families Learning. (n.d.). Resources. https://www.familieslearning.org/

PBS. (n.d.). Reading and writing games for 4-year-olds. https://www.pbs.org/parents/learn-grow/age-4/reading

Reading Rockets. (n.d.). Literacy at home. WETA. https://www.readingrockets.org/article/literacy-home

Starfall Education Foundation. (n.d.). Starfall. https://www.starfall.com

The Hanen Centre. (n.d.). Let’s play and talk. https://www.hanen.org/Helpful-Info/Parents/Let-s-Play-and-Talk.aspx

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2024, July 30). How can I create a language-rich environment for dual language learners? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1yUK4Y_WiE

ZERO TO THREE. (n.d.). Literacy skills in young children. https://www.zerotothree.org/resource/literacy-skills-in-young-children/