Literacy Through Play – Unit 6 by Melanie Chamberland

Story Stones Storytelling

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-29 22:50:11 UTC

Children select stones with pictures and create their own stories based on the images. This enhances oral language, vocabulary, sequencing, and imagination. (Sluss, 2019)

Materials: Painted or stickered stones, cloth bag
Age Group: 3–6 years
Why it works: Storytelling builds expressive language and literacy while encouraging children to connect ideas in sequence.

Alphabet Treasure Hunt

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-29 22:52:33 UTC

Hide letters around the classroom or outdoors and invite children to find them. After locating a letter, they say its name and a word that starts with that letter. (Sluss, 2019)

Materials: Paper letters, baskets, simple clues
Age Group: 4–6 years
Why it works: This interactive game builds letter recognition and phonemic awareness through movement and exploration.

Puppet Show Play

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-29 22:53:31 UTC

Children use puppets to retell stories or create their own. This encourages creative storytelling, builds vocabulary, and boosts confidence. (Sluss, 2019)

Materials: Puppets, small puppet stage or table, storybooks
Age Group: 3–7 years
Why it works: Playful language expression helps children build narrative structure and engage socially with peers.

Puppet Show Play

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 09:54:36 UTC

Children use puppets to retell stories or create their own. This encourages creative storytelling, builds vocabulary, and boosts confidence.

Materials: Puppets, small puppet stage or table, storybooks
Age Group: 3–7 years
Why it works: Playful language expression helps children

build narrative structure and engage socially with peers.

Creating Language-Rich Environments

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 09:58:10 UTC

This video explains how to support young children learning multiple languages by creating environments that honor and integrate their home language and culture.

Unite for Literacy

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 09:59:07 UTC

Unite for Literacy offers a large collection of free, high-quality digital picture books with audio narration available in over 50 languages. This supports dual language learners by providing access to books in both English and their home languages, helping families build literacy together. The platform is accessible on any device and designed for young children, making it easy for families to incorporate shared reading into their daily routine (Unite for Literacy, n.d.).

Colorín Colorado – For Bilingual Families

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 09:59:57 UTC

Colorín Colorado provides bilingual families with research-based strategies to support children's literacy development at home. The site includes videos, book lists, and culturally responsive materials tailored for parents of English language learners. It’s a valuable resource for bridging school and home literacy efforts and promoting family involvement in early learning (Colorín Colorado, n.d.).

Reading Together with Young Children

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:00:38 UTC

This NAEYC article offers simple, effective tips for parents and caregivers on how to make shared reading meaningful and interactive. It encourages strategies like using expression, asking questions, and responding to children’s ideas during read-alouds. These methods help build comprehension, vocabulary, and a love of reading from a young age (NAEYC, n.d.).

Starfall – Early Literacy Program

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:01:34 UTC

Starfall is a free website and app that supports early reading through interactive songs, games, and phonics activities. It helps children build alphabet knowledge, letter-sound recognition, and fluency through playful repetition and visuals (NAEYC, n.d.). The user-friendly format also makes it a great tool for dual language learners and early readers.

Age Range: 3–7 years
Why it works: Kids learn letters, words, and phonics in a fun, gamified environment.

Endless Alphabet App

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:02:04 UTC

A fun vocabulary-building app with animated monster Endless Alphabet uses silly monster animations and interactive puzzles to teach vocabulary and spelling. Each word is broken down with sound effects and definitions that make learning fun and memorable (Sluss, 2019). The app encourages curiosity and language development in a developmentally appropriate way.

Age Range: 3–6 years
Why it works: Encourages vocabulary growth and letter-sound awareness through play.

Magnetic Letter

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:02:37 UTC

Great for spelling, phonics games, and word recognition activities. Kids can build their name or create new words.

Dress-Up & Role-Play Costumes

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:02:58 UTC

Costumes and props help children tell stories, act out narratives, and practice expressive language skills during dramatic play.

Story Cubes

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:03:18 UTC

Dice with pictures that children roll and use to create original stories. Builds creativity, sequencing, and oral storytelling skills.

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:05:27 UTC

This section includes three playful, research-based activities that promote language development and early literacy skills through hands-on, imaginative learning. These activities support young children’s oral language, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, and storytelling abilities in authentic ways (Sluss, 2019).

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:05:43 UTC

This video supports best practices for engaging dual language learners and their families. It aligns with the NAEYC recommendations for creating inclusive, culturally responsive environments where children can use and build on their home language alongside English (NAEYC, 2018).

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:06:01 UTC

These resources provide families with the tools to support emergent literacy at home. Culturally and linguistically responsive materials, such as bilingual books and parent guides, are crucial for helping children develop strong foundations in both their home language and English (Colorín Colorado, n.d.; Unite for Literacy, n.d.).

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:06:13 UTC

The apps featured here are developmentally appropriate tools that support early reading and vocabulary development. When used intentionally, technology can supplement classroom instruction and reinforce language skills in playful, engaging ways (NAEYC, n.d.).

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:06:28 UTC

These toys promote creativity, dramatic play, and storytelling, all of which support expressive language and early literacy. Research emphasizes that literacy-rich play experiences help children connect symbols and sounds to meaning (Sluss, 2019).

melaniechamberland21 — 2025-07-30 10:06:42 UTC

Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). For families. https://www.colorincolorado.org/families

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2018). Many languages, one classroom: Supporting children in superdiverse settings. https://www.naeyc.org/resources/pubs/tyc/dec2018/supporting-children-superdiverse-settings

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (n.d.). Tips for reading together. https://www.naeyc.org/our-work/families/read-together

Sluss, D. J. (2019). Supporting play in early childhood: Environment, curriculum, assessment (3rd ed.). Cengage.

Unite for Literacy. (n.d.). Home. https://www.uniteforliteracy.com