Concepts of (About) Print
These are the concepts about the written language that a child picks up on through observing parents, teachers, and things in the community.
They do this whenever they look at a menu at a restaurant, when they write and receive postcards, or when they are read stories for enjoyment (bedtime story or story time at school).
Concepts of print defines the purpose of the written language. Teachers can provide students with activities and opportunities to experiment with reading/writing by doing several things. Below is a list of ideas that teachers can use to do this.
Putting up signs in the room - Directional, informational, birthdays, etc.
Have a list of the class rules - Define classroom specific rules (possibly defined by the students) and post them in the classroom for all to see.
Taken from: http://gfs.westport.k12.ct.us/cerulli/our_classroom___________________.htm
Using reading/writing in literacy play centers - Design the literacy play center to look like a library.
Writing messages to classmates - Devote 10-15 minutes everyday to let the children write friendly notes back and forth to one another.
Read/write stories - Have a story time, reader's theatre, author's chair, etc. every week.
Taken from: http://hill.troy.k12.mi.us/staff/bnewingham/myweb3/writing_workshop%20Structure.htm
Label items found in the classroom - Door, bathroom, sink, clock, window, chalkboard, whiteboard, etc.
Draw/write in journals - Allow time everyday for the students to write in their journals about anything they want or create a class blog on the internet where the students can write and respond to one another.
Here is a link that you can use to start your own class blog.
Write notes/letters home to parents - Have the students write letters to their parents describing what they did that day or at a field trip.
Other concepts children might learn include how to properly hold a book, how to turn pages, and that the words and not the pictures are what carry the meaning of the book.
Teachers must assess a child's concepts of print. They can do this by observing them as they read, observing children write (pretend or real), or during shared reading.
There is also a test designed by Marie Clay. This test resembles a checklist and can be found on page 113 in Gail Tompkins' book Literacy for the 21st Century: A Balanced Approach. For more information about concepts of (about) print can be found on pages 111-113 in Gail's book as well.