For our 3 and 4 year olds, language and literacy development occurs through the social interactions and rich literature exposure woven throughout our daily schedule and routines. Children explore and play with language to communicate with others and to build a solid foundation for future reading and writing.
Early literacy development occurs through:
- the reading of books aloud that children love, and enjoy exploring new and familiar stories.
- retelling stories in concrete ways (acting them out or using puppets and flannel board figures).
- the dictation of stories.
- reading the Morning Message, Job Chart, recipes and experience charts.
- early writing experiences with Writing Journals.
- singing songs and playing with rhymes & rhythms.
- exposure to expressive language and rich vocabulary.
- use of games and writing experiences significant to children to identify letters and words.
- making connections between spoken and written words throughout the day.
- socializing with peers, expressing their needs and engaging in conversation with others.
Morning Meeting is an integral component of each student’s day at Side By Side Community School.
During Morning Meeting children learn how:
- to express ideas and listen to the ideas of others.
- to take turns.
- to make a contribution to a group.
- to make connections between print and spoken words.
- to solve community problems.
- to ask questions and brainstorm answers to questions.