M11: Environmental Print - Not Just for Early Childhood

You read a little about Environmental Print in your textbook, but really, what is Environmental Print? Enz (2004) describes it as: 

“…print that occurs in real life contexts~ the signs, billboards, logos, and functional print that saturate a child’s world.” 

It is:

  • the print we see all around us;environmental print
  • signs;
  • billboards;
  • labels;
  • logos; and 
  • functional print.

Reading environmental print is an activity children often engage in before reading print in books. Have you ever been in a car with a child screaming for McDonald's when she sees the golden arches? She was reading the environmental print! 

Children develop advanced concepts about books, newspapers, and other print from earlier understandings of environmental print, and that knowledge transfers to their writing skills.

environmental print The pictures on this page are some examples of environmental print used in the classroom. Take a minute to write down your thoughts about these uses. Can you think of another way you could incorporate environmental print that would be appropriate for the grade level you intend to teach? 

ONLY FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD? NOPE!

Most people think of Environmental Print as something to use with only young children. But it is very good for people learning another language as well. Why?

  • EP helps learners make connections between sounds and symbols.

  • EP is relevant; it is from an individual's surroundings so the learner sees it frequently in his/her world.

Personal Anecdote: When I was living in Turkey, I "read" the signs all around me.  I first would read them "in my head" with English pronunciation, but then as I lived there longer, people would say the names of streets, stores, etc, and I would start to hear it in my head how they said the words... This helped me understand the sound-symbol relationship in Turkish and helped me learn the language.  

Why should I use Environmental Print (EP) in my classroom?

  • Helps students form notions of letters and words.

  • Helps ELLs learn letter/symbol correspondence and pronunciation.

  • Builds confidence - students see themselves as readers and writers.

  • Internalizes the meaning-making function of reading.

  • Transcends language, culture and economic barriers.

  • Contributes to phonemic and phonological awareness.

  • Inexpensive and available.

  • Motivating and relevant -- Sparks interest for literacy learning and can be what students know and are interested in.

  • Connects outside of school world to inside of school.

Remember: "By linking the reading of words to the reading of worlds that children know best, we can spark their enthusiasm for literacy learning in school” (Orellana & Hernandez, 2003).