Charting the Cs logo with black and blue text Charting the Cs Conference 2025: To Literacy and Beyond Cooperation Communication Collaboration I completed the READ ACT Training: Now What? Supporting Early Literacy Development in Young Learners Sarah Larson, Rochester Public Schools Agenda-What to Expect •Key Principles of LETRS •Effective Classroom Practices for Early Literacy •Predictors of Literacy Achievement •Moving beyond “The Letter of the Week” •The Power of Play - Literacy Examples •“Real Life” Examples of Literacy Strategies •Incidental Literacy - “Literacy on the Fly” •Print Rich Environment What is LETRS? •LETRS stands for Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling. •It provides evidence - based strategies for teaching reading, writing, and spelling in early childhood. •The program emphasizes understanding the structure of language, its impact on literacy, and how teachers can support young learners. Key Principles of LETRS 1.Phonemic Awareness: Understanding that words are made up of individual sounds. 2.Phonics: Teaching the relationship between sounds and letters. 3.Vocabulary Development: Expanding children's word knowledge. 4.Fluency: Helping children read smoothly and with expression. 5.Comprehension: Ensuring children understand what they read. 1.Phonemic Awareness: Understanding that words are made up of individual sounds. 2.Phonics: Teaching the relationship between sounds and letters. 3.Vocabulary Development: Expanding children's word knowledge. 4.Fluency: Helping children read smoothly and with expression. 5.Comprehension: Ensuring children understand what they read. Phonemic Awareness ●What is Phonemic Awareness? ○The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds (phonemes) in spoken words. ●Key Strategies: ○Rhyming games ○Segmenting and blending sounds ○Sound matching activities ●Why is it Important? ○A strong predictor of future reading success. ○Helps children decode words when they learn to read. Phonics Instruction ●What is Phonics? Phonics is the understanding that letters and groups of letters represent sounds in spoken words. ●Key Strategies: ○Systematic and explicit instruction of letter-sound correspondences. ○Letter recognition and blending sounds into words. ○Practice with decodable texts. ●Why is it Important? ○Helps children decode and spell words. ○Provides the foundation for fluent reading. Vocabulary Development ●What is Vocabulary Development? The process of teaching children the meaning of words and how to use them in context. ●Key Strategies: ○Read aloud to children regularly. ○Use rich and varied language in conversations. ○Teach the meanings of new words in context. ●Why is it Important? ○A robust vocabulary is linked to better reading comprehension and writing skills. ○Supports cognitive development and communication. Fluency ●What is Fluency? ○The ability to read text smoothly and with expression, which helps with comprehension. ●Key Strategies: ○Practice reading aloud regularly. ○Focus on expression, intonation, and punctuation. ○Use repeated reading of familiar texts. ●Why is it Important? ○Fluency allows children to focus on understanding the text rather than decoding individual words. ○Builds confidence in young readers. Comprehension ●What is Comprehension? Comprehension is the ability to understand and interpret what is being read. ●Key Strategies: ○Ask questions before, during, and after reading. ○Use graphic organizers to visualize key concepts. ○Encourage children to retell stories in their own words. ●Why is it Important? ○Reading comprehension is the ultimate goal of literacy instruction. ○Helps children make connections between what they read and their own experiences. Effective Classroom Practices for Early Literacy Structured Literacy Approach: Provide explicit, systematic, and sequential instruction in language components. Interactive and Engaging Activities: Use songs, games, and hands-on learning experiences to support literacy skills. Differentiation: Tailor instruction to meet the individual needs of learners. Predictors of Literacy Achievement ●The TWO best predictors of literacy achievement from early kindergarten to 2nd grade are: ●Phoneme awareness (sound isolation) ●Letter-name knowledge - (National Reading Panel, 2000; Whitehurst & Lonigan, 2002; National Early Literacy Panel, 2008) Optimal Benchmark at Pre-K to Kindergarten is: ●18 Uppercase Letter Names ●15 Lowercase letter names ●Provide a variety of writing surfaces, such as clipboards and personal dry - erase boards, that children can take anywhere, even outside. Model writing for authentic purposes every day. ●Help children create monthly class books about topics that interest them — from their families to their favorite foods, animals, or toys. They can also create books about letters, numbers, and their favorite words. ●Remember that literacy is everywhere. ●Children love writing with interesting - colored pens and markers, so provide writing utensils in many different colors, sizes, and even scents or shapes. Not only are they fun to use, but the smooth, fluid feeling of using pens and markers encourages writing. The Power of Play “Playful learning” helps children make important connections, deepening their background knowledge. A key point is that adult intentionality and interaction makes an important difference in young children’s learning An important consideration: ●How can I include literacy in play-based learning? ●How can I support literacy development through play props, materials, or activities? Literacy Strategies 1.Picture Story/Word Story 2.Read-a-Louds 3.Phonemic and Letter Awareness 4.Writing 5.Literacy during Routines Picture Story/Word Story *Helps children feel comfortable writing at their own level and reinforces that they are not expected to write like grown ups. Think about how many opportunities children have to write within your classroom/day. Intentionally guide in the process of what to write, how to get it on paper, identifying letters to sounds, letter formation, and pencil grip. Model/scaffold. (Two phases above) ●There are other ways you can present this strategy that doesn’t involve whole group instruction. Ex: Small group and teacher/child activity. ●Journals are a great way to implement this strategy. ●Provide writing opportunities (art/literacy, dramatic play; Grocery list) ●Large chart for question of the day and discussion. A wall display of children's pet drawings inspired by What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss. Each drawing features a child's interpretation of their ideal pet, with colorful and imaginative artwork. Student Example A child's drawing of crabs, featuring abstract red and orange lines representing the animals. The word "CRAB" is labeled with an arrow pointing to the top drawing. The artwork includes scribbled lines and shapes, with text at the bottom reading "ORANGE, YELLOW, BLUE, GREEN CRABS" and signed "RADGAR 1/15/25". A child’s colorful drawing labeled “This is a doggy,” featuring abstract pink, green, and orange shapes and dots. Labeled elements include “DOG,” “HOT DOG,” and “CUPCAKE,” pointing to different parts of the artwork. The drawing is signed “SKYLA 1/13/25” at the bottom. A child's drawing featuring a figure labeled "IGRA" next to a cat labeled "CAT." The artwork includes green squiggles and shapes, with handwritten text: "My Mommy and Daddy made me breakfast" and "And I love my cat and chickens." The drawing is signed “IGRA 1/15/25” at the bottom. A child’s drawing in red marker showing a stick figure labeled “BRIAR” next to a house-like shape with a small cat inside, labeled “CAT.” Below the drawing, it says “I W . G . A C T.” with the caption “I WOULD GET A CAT.” The artwork is signed “BRIAR G. 1/15/25.” Read-A-Louds Read A Loud: ●Repeated Reading Plan-How to implement-Pg. 80* -84 ●Intentional plan for repeated reading ●Fun ways to do read alouds : Wear fun reading glasses! There is value in creating excitement about read aloud! ●Interactive Story book routines ●Extension activity: Story Walk ●Book Discussion Cards for Creative Curriculum Read-A-Loud Modifications and Accessibility A teacher reads a colorful picture book to a group of young children seated on the floor in a classroom. The book is also projected on the whiteboard behind the teacher using an overhead projector. The classroom has educational materials and posters on the walls. A young child in a white outfit sits cross-legged on a carpeted floor reading a colorful picture book. The open pages show cartoon-style illustrations of buildings at night and during the day. A pink star marker is visible on the floor nearby. Using Props to Boost Engagement A smiling woman wearing fun ice cream cone glasses holds up a copy of the book Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger. The book is shown upside down. She is wearing a dark shirt with colorful flowers and the phrase "CELEBRATE MINDS OF ALL KINDS." Phonemic Awareness Initial Sound Activity A sorting activity setup with small plastic cups on an orange tray, each containing various picture cards. Next to the tray is a clear container labeled "Alphabet Fun Dough Stampers." In front of the tray are a green and a red sheet of paper, each with picture cards placed on them, including images of a bike, sailboat, banana, hat, and pig. A sensory alphabet activity featuring three soft fabric pouches labeled "Aa," "Cc," and "Jj," each with a clear window showing small objects inside that start with the corresponding letter. Wooden alphabet blocks labeled "A," "C," "J," "V," "F," and "Q" are placed around the pouches, with some inside a red drawstring bag at the top. The setup is on a black surface. 4 mystery bags Letter Awareness Independent Work: Letter Matching A name-building activity for the name “ELIJAH” using individual laminated letter cards placed on a lined sheet with a yellow polka-dotted strip. Below the name, a single letter card “J” is positioned in a horizontal slot, possibly for matching or sequencing. The setup is on a wooden table. A hands-on name-building activity for the name “Elijah,” using laminated letter cards placed on a yellow polka-dotted strip with handwriting lines. The letters "E," "l," "i," "j," "a," and "h" are arranged above the strip, and two extra letters, “j” and “h,” are placed below in a separate section, possibly for matching or sequencing practice. The setup is on a wooden surface. Letter in First Name Activity: Corresponds to Creative Curriculum A classroom wall display features large decorated letters made by students, each attached to a green background. The letters include "R," "A," "L," "A," "P," and "B," each decorated with various materials like pom-poms, paper squares, and stickers. Below each letter is a crayon-shaped name label identifying the student artists, including names like "PEDRO," "ALI," "ISRA," "AURORA," "PAISLEY," and "EZRA C." A young child sits at a wooden table working on a bear-themed activity sheet. The sheet features a cartoon bear, and the child is placing small word cards with "UN" endings (e.g., "fun," "sun") onto the bear. A blue water bottle is on the table next to the child, who is wearing a black shirt with the phrase “AWESOME RUNS IN THE FAMILY.” Writing Letter Writing: Symbols, Identifying Shapes A name-writing activity at a classroom writing center. A set of laminated name cards on a metal ring sits on a table, with the top card showing “BRIAR M.” written in pink marker. A small photo card with a student picture and name is also visible. Above the table, an alphabet strip and a sign labeled “WRITING CENTER” are attached to a cabinet. A young child is engaging in a sensory activity by drawing shapes and numbers in a layer of shaving cream spread across a tabletop. The child’s hands are covered in shaving cream, and visible drawings include a square, triangle, and the number 7. Rhyming Activities Rhyming Words/Picture Match A young child is arranging animal picture cards on a large easel pad in a classroom. Each card has a green border and features a different animal illustration. The classroom walls are decorated with colorful posters, including one with the word "Smart" and a lightbulb graphic. A classroom easel displays a collection of laminated animal and object picture cards, each with a green border and a label. The cards include images like a tie, pig, moose, llama, police officer, bee, panda, fig, and more. The cards are arranged in a loose grid pattern, taped onto lined chart paper. Down by the Bay: Rhyming Song A teacher plays a guitar and sings in a classroom while children watch a projected image on the whiteboard that shows a cartoon swan mowing a lawn, with the text “SWAN mowing the LAWN.” Several children are sitting or standing on the carpet, engaged with the activity. The classroom is decorated with educational posters and student pictures. A teacher plays a guitar in a classroom while children engage in music and movement activities. One child is dancing, another is sitting near a slide, and two more are near the teacher. A colorful fall-themed cartoon scene is projected onto the whiteboard, showing trees, a lake, and mountains. The classroom is decorated with charts, student photos, and educational materials. Literacy During Routines Letter sound transition activity A St. Patrick’s Day-themed classroom activity featuring a black pot with a shamrock and googly eyes, representing a pot of gold. Scattered around it are yellow and black circular letter tokens with lowercase letters and numbers. A small yellow cup is also part of the setup, likely used for holding the tokens. Literacy during routines and snack A visual cue poster showing a black and white illustration of hands being washed with soap and bubbles at the top. Below the image are colorful clipart icons: alphabet blocks labeled A, B, and C, and a birthday cake with candles. The poster likely represents daily routines or activities in a classroom setting. A classroom scene showing a group of young children sitting at tables engaged in an activity, while two teachers stand at the front. One teacher uses a pointer to lead a lesson near an alphabet and art display on the wall. The display includes decorated letters, letter tiles, and a poster with alphabet visuals. The children appear to be enjoying a snack or craft, with colorful water bottles on the tables. Incidental Literacy Teaching How can you increase incidental learning opportunities? ●Songs-letter and letter sound songs ●Interactive Stories during non-traditional times Using Literacy in Non Traditional Spaces A young child stands in front of a large whiteboard placing magnetic pieces on it. The board is covered with various colorful magnetic letters and shapes. The child, dressed in pink pants and a floral top, is reaching up to add or move a piece. The setting appears to be a classroom or educational play area. A young child climbs on an indoor rock climbing wall with colorful handholds in red, yellow, and green. Blue and red magnetic letters and symbols are attached to the wall around the child, combining physical activity with a literacy-focused learning experience. Name-Letter Recognition Alphabet animal vocabulary display board Alphabet animal vocabulary First letter name recognition display board First letter name recognition Name letter display board Name letter recognition/intentional letter instruction Print Rich Environment Examples ●Story Walks ●Dramatic Play Props ○Menus ○Phone books ○Cookbooks ○Other ●Literacy/Reading during Transitions ○iPad storys/songs/rhymes ○Checklists for pictures/letter searches in hallway ●Playground Print ○Scavenger hunts ○Picture/Letter Search Games Share out ●Link-to Google Folder with shared ideas ●How are you implementing LETRS or Literacy Strategies? ●What barriers are you experiencing? ●What is the most challenging routine to incorporate literacy? ●What Ah-Ha take away will you try to implement this year? ECSE Literacy Ideas Please share your email address and I will give you access to this drive! ECSE Literacy QR code SCAN ME to view additional ECSE Literacy ideas. Charting the Cs logo with black and blue text Thank you! Sarah Larson SALARSON@rochesterschools.org