Concepts of Print
• Purpose of print
• Different forms of print
• Relationship between print and the spoken word
• How to hold a book
• How stories work
• Concept of word
• Difference between a word and a letter
• Parts of a book
• Directionality
• Difference between upper and lowercase letters
Concepts About Print was coined by New Zealand educator, Marie Clay, and refers to what emergent readers need to understand about how printed language works and how it represents language. It is a global term that includes concepts related to conventions, purpose & functions of print. We can help young children develop this understanding by discussing these concepts with them as we read to them.
Purpose of print – that print carries a message and contains meaning – a child demonstrates an understanding of this concept when he “play reads” text using the picture and his memory.
Noticing the different forms of print – signs, newspapers, books, etc.
The relationship between print & the spoken word (one to one correspondence) – at times, you can point under the words on a page to show this relationship.
How to hold a book and turn pages one at a time.
How stories work – many have a beginning, middle, and end.
The concept of a word and word boundaries – know that there are spaces between words.
The difference between a word and a letter and the concept of a sentence- Emergent readers gradually learn to distinguish between these forms and develop concepts of print by experiences and immersion in reading and writing.
Directionality – how to read left to right, top to bottom – when young children successfully point to or track print as someone reads aloud, they demonstrate an understanding of orientation and directionality.
Ability to distinguish between the use of upper and lower case letters in reading and writing.
Understanding the form and function of punctuation – how it marks text (e.g., period, comma, question mark).
