In the Lower School, the journey to becoming readers and writers begins with our youngest learners. In our Preschool 3 and Preschool 4 programs, students develop language and literacy skills necessary for reading and writing in the elementary grades. Through engaging songs, rhymes, stories, games, and play, students develop vocabulary and phonological awareness skills crucial to future reading and writing success.
In Preschool 3, students explore, name, and categorize objects through cooperative play. Our Preschool 3 students begin to develop phonemic awareness and learn that each letter in the alphabet represents a sound as they trace and build letters using sand and blocks. In Preschool 4, students search for environmental print at home and at school, working together to create impressive lists of words that begin with the letter of the week. Preschool 4 students engage in multisensory lessons with materials from Handwriting Without Tears and Wilson Fundations to support handwriting, letter formation, and letter-sound correspondence.
Preschool students in both classes have many conversations about books – making connections, sharing thoughts, asking questions, and comparing books by the same author or on the same topic. Students are also encouraged to share their own stories, telling about their lives and interests through speaking, drawing, and emergent writing. Here are some suggestions of activities to further support your child’s literacy development at home:
- Tell stories, take turns, play games, and ask open-ended questions to support oral language and listening skills. Encourage your child to use new vocabulary, speak in complete sentences, ask questions, listen, and wait their turn.
- Create time and space for your child to experiment with drawing, writing, and crafts. Activities that involve coloring, painting, gluing, cutting, building, and drawing all support the development of fine motor skills that are crucial for future writing.
- Notice and discuss environmental print with your child – the D on the Dunkin’ Donuts sign or the letters in their name can be starting points for conversation about letters, sounds, and how print conveys meaning.
It is so exciting to see all of the growth in language and literacy in Preschool!