Communication, language and literacy: Read the signs

Even very young children can recognise signs and labels and nurseries can build on this 'real life' reading. Jane Drake suggests ideas for developing early literacy skills

We may settle down to read a novel after a long day at work but throughout our day we will have read numerous sources of information: road signs, street names, train timetables, recipes, a child's report. We read for information, as well as for pure enjoyment, and this purposeful reading should be an integral part of children's play in all areas of provision in the nursery setting.

In the QCA's Curriculum guidance for the foundation stage there is clear recognition that the nursery environment should mirror the 'real' world of reading and provide children with opportunities to develop their skills in a purposeful context.

Very early on in their lives, children learn to recognise signs and labels which are meaningful to them, and there can be few three-year-olds who let a McDonalds sign pass without comment. It is often a simple shape or logo that first conveys meaning to a child although words such as 'post office' and 'fish and chips' soon become familiar and easily recognised when displayed above the actual shop to which they relate. This early use of context clues is important as children begin to develop strategies for making sense of the written word.

Each area of provision within an early years setting can and should offer children a range of opportunities for purposeful reading and 'real life' provides an endless source of ideas. Additions could include local area maps, an atlas, car manuals, architects' plans, instruction cards, diaries, calendars, recipe books, menus, bus timetables, catalogues, price tags and holiday brochures.

The use of directional and naming signs around the setting will help to raise children's awareness of print and should be part of the very fabric of provision. Practitioners may decide to use some simple pictures or photographs alongside the words as clues for children.

Storage baskets, boxes and shelves should be clearly labelled and children encouraged to use the labels when looking for, or tidying up, equipment. Signs could include 'Water area this way', 'Bike stop - wait here', 'Have you washed your hands?'

Involving children in the making and positioning of signs can be a very valuable experience and resources that encourage such acts of literacy should always be available, for example, folded card, laminated sheets of paper, chalk boards, mark makers. It is heartening to see children independently making and using signs in their play to convey information to others and a sure sign that they have understood the purpose of print.

Daily routines can also be an effective way of engaging children as readers. The 'question table', now found in many early years settings, encourages children to read a daily question with the help of a parent or carer. The children answer 'yes' or 'no' to the question by placing their name card in the appropriate box.

Signs such as 'Who will give the fruit out today?' (with the name changed daily) will have children flocking to see if it is their turn. They will soon understand the purpose of the sign and begin to recognise their own and other children's names.

When constructing a display area for models it is a good idea to provide a bank of signs, such as 'Look but please do not touch', which children can place next to their work. With adult support, children will quickly learn the meaning of such signs and should be encouraged to take note of the request.

Whether or not children interact with the environment and use resources positively to develop reading skills will depend to a great extent on their experience of print and their perception of reading. Practitioners have a crucial role to play here in modelling a variety of purposes for reading. This will involve direct interaction such as reading instructions for building a model in the construction area and helping children to follow the instructions. It will also involve less direct modelling such as reading using a telephone directory to look up a telephone number.

Adults also need to spend time observing children in order to recognise where, and what, learning is taking place. Focused observations will inform the adult about the nature of support needed and the effectiveness of the provision in developing early reading skills.

Encouraging parents and carers to look at their own reasons for reading in their daily lives can raise their awareness of print in the environment and help them to understand the importance of this aspect of early reading. It can be helpful to talk to parents about ways in which they can support their children and involve them in acts of purposeful reading. Parents could also be invited to accompany their children on visits to shopping centres or walks around the local area looking specifically at signs and symbols.

10 key points

Use these ten key points as possible lead-ins for discussion at a staff meeting or with parents and carers:

1. What experience of print do children have outside of the home/setting?

2. Are there plenty of signs and labels displayed in the setting? How do children use these?

3. Do children make and use signs and labels spontaneously in their play? How could you encourage this?

4. How is children's awareness of the purposes of print raised through daily routines?

5. Do signs and labels include written scripts which reflect the home languages of bilingual children?

6. Have you discussed the correlation between early reading and mark making/early writing?

7. In what ways are adults providing a role model for purposeful reading?

8. Are there opportunities for reading in a 'real' context in all provision areas?

9. Do you plan time to observe children at play? What have you learned about their early reading development?

10. What systems are in place for the sharing of information between practitioner and parent?

Jane Drake is a nursery teacher at Cottingley Primary School, Leeds, and author of Planning Children's Play and Learning in the Foundation Stage (David Fulton)

Case study: Emily

Emily attends Cottingley Primary School nursery in Leeds five mornings a week. Almost four years old and due to move on to reception class in September, Emily takes a lively interest in environmental print and often asks 'What does this say?' pointing to a new sign or label in nursery. Her parents report that she is interested in food packet labels and recognises the Weetabix logo in magazines and on billboards.

Building on this interest in labels, nursery staff are supporting Emily in learning more about how written language works. Within the setting she has been encouraged to make her own shopping lists by selecting product label cards and attaching them (by hook and loop fastening) to her 'list'. She has then taken her list to the role play shop and bought the products.

She has also enjoyed playing shopkeeper and reading other children's lists. Staff have involved her in making signs and labels in role play areas and for displays and she has been observed using these purposefully in her play, for example, turning the shop sign around to inform other children that the shop is now 'closed'.

Staff have also looked at the provision in other areas and added resources which they hope will encourage Emily to attempt reading in a meaningful context and for a real purpose. She has been observed on a number of occasions browsing through toy catalogues and writing lists of toys she would like! At home her mother has talked to Emily about the different pictures, symbols and words on products in the supermarket. Walks around school and to a local DIY store have also provided valuable opportunities for looking at and following signs.