Literature: Literature is at the core of our literacy program and is an integral party of all aspects of our curriculum. We read to children a variety of literature – fiction, information books, chapter books, poems, songs, etc. – throughout the day for enjoyment and to explore different topics. We also create original literature; we innovate on books and write and read other books and charts to share information about topics we are studying. Children learn that reading and writing are connected and that we read and write for real and meaningful purposes.

Predictable Literature: Because children learn to read by reading, we encourage them to read from the beginning by providing them with predictable books that they can read successfully. Children use the illustrations, natural language, rhyming or repetitious structures, and familiar plot patterns in predictable books to help them read successfully and build confidence in themselves as readers. The belief that "I can read!" motivates children to want to read more. Children are invited to read predictable books by themselves or with classmates and to borrow them to share with their families. We also read them together as a class. Because their own language is the most predictable of all, children also write and read their own stories, poems, and information pieces.

Shared Literacy: We share literature through Shared Literacy, which refers to any reading and/or writing situation in which a fluent reader/writer and a learner or group of learners share in a literacy experience. The learners see the text, observe the teacher reading/writing with enjoyment, fluency and expression, and are invited to read/write along and participate in related literacy experiences. Big books and enlarged print poems and songs are sometimes used so all children can observe the text. Thank you letters, lists, etc. are written together on large chart paper. The teacher accepts and encourages all efforts and approximations the learners make, supporting them in their natural development as readers and writers. Shared literacy is a relaxed, social time, with emphasis on learning together, reading and writing for real purposes, enjoying and appreciating a wide range of literature, and expression, and are invited to read/write along and participate in related literacy experiences. Big books and enlarged print poems and songs are sometimes used so all children can observe the text. Thank you letters, lists, etc. are written together on large chart paper. The teacher accepts and encourages all efforts and approximations the learners make, supporting them in their natural development as readers and writers. Shared literacy is a relaxed, social time, with emphasis on learning together, reading and writing for real purposes, enjoying and appreciating a wide range of literature, and developing skills and strategies for successful reading. We hope to encourage a lifelong love of literature, reading and writing through shared literacy.

Reading and Writing During Choice Times: During choice times, children are encouraged to use learning center materials to independently initiate their own literacy experiences individually and with friends. Books, paper, and writing materials are available in all learning centers. Blank books, pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, glue, stapler, and a variety of paper are available in the writing and art centers to encourage drawing, writing and book making. Big and small books, teaching easels, pointers, puppets, story and song tapes, morning message, functional charts, and charts of poems and songs are available in the reading center to invite children to read and listen to stories, dramatize stories and "play school." During choice times children also work individually and in small groups on teacher initiated literacy experiences, such as journal writing or writing poems or stories. Individuals also meet with the teacher to practice fluent reading strategies during shared readings of books suited to individual interests and development.

Matching Speech to Print: Daily shared literacy provides experiences in observing text and speech together. Learners begin to increasingly attend to print and understand that there is a one-to-one correspondence between spoken and written words.

Recognizing Words by Sight: When learners attain a stable concept of the printed word and can match their speech to the print on a page, they begin to recognize many words by sight. Children enjoy collecting words they recognize by sight and interesting words they want to learn to read. They use their word cards to sort words according to meaning (color words), grammar (action words) or letter sounds (words that start like "cat"). Some children like to refer to their word collections when they write in their journals or do other independent writing.

Understanding Print Concepts: Print concepts involving direction of print, punctuation marks, and uppercase and lowercase letters are demonstrated naturally and in context during shared literacy.

Understanding Story Structure: Reading to children helps them to become familiar with the organization and elements of stories. Children who have been read to a great deal understand that stories have settings, characters, problems, and solutions and that each story has a beginning, a middle, and an end. This knowledge helps listeners/readers/writers make predictions and better understand and write stones.

Segmenting Words into Phonemes: When children indicate that they are beginning to hear some or all of the individual sounds in a word, writing "b," "bt," or "bit" for "bite," they are showing readiness to apply letter sound knowledge in their reading and writing. Although they may have been able to say the sounds for many letters, they are now better able to understand how letter sounds relate to reading and can use sounds to read and to invent spellings when they write.

Predicting, Taking Risks, and Making Mistakes: Predicting is at the heart of the reading process; fluent readers construct meaning from text through a continual process of predicting and confirming predictions as they interact with the text. Children become involved with constructing meaning, when we encourage them to think of what might happen next or what word or letter they might expect to see next in a story they are listening to or reading. They develop into independent writers when they are allowed to invent their own spellings by listening to the sounds they hear in words, and their spellings become increasingly conventional and correct.

Using Meaning, Grammar. and Letter-Sound Cues in a Balanced, Strategic Way: We encourage children to think- about meaning – does it make sense? – and grammar, or the way language sounds – does it sound right? – and letter sounds – does the beginning sound of the word match the word you think it is? Children are adept at using meaning and grammar cues in listening and talking and need to be encouraged to continue using these cues when they begin to read. We teach phonics and recognize it as an integral part of the reading process. However, because phonics is the most abstract source of reading cues and the most difficult for young children, we encourage emergent readers to use familiar cues – meaning grammar, illustrations, and memory – while supporting them in understanding more abstract letter sound connections. We want children to be successful and comfortable when they begin to read because if reading is difficult, children will not want to do it. To make phonics more meaningful, we teach letter sounds in the context of enjoyable literature. We also take into consideration developmental tendencies; children first see words as whole units and then are able to use initial and ending consonants. Children distinguish the middle parts of words later and most children are not developmentally ready to distinguish and apply the subtle differences in short vowel sounds until the end of first grade.

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