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Literacy PK-3

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Literacy PK-3>Factors>Print Awareness

Print Awareness

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Print Awareness is the understanding that print on a page has meaning and different functions, something that, as experienced readers, we have likely forgotten we ever had to learn. Supporting Print Awareness helps beginning readers with this critical tool for understanding all text. Exposure to printed language also helps establish a conceptual understanding of writing and its purpose in young children.

Main Ideas

Print Awareness includes understanding that text represents spoken language, that words and letters are distinguishable, and that letters can be upper- or lower-case. It also includes recognizing punctuation units and using alphabet knowledge.
Students who have print awareness:
Understand that print conveys meaning;
Understand reading conventions (e.g., in English, lines of print are read left to right and text begins at the top of a page);
Know how to handle books properly (e.g., how to turn the page); and
Are familiar with book elements such as the cover, title, author, and table of contents.

Learn More

Read the full annotated bibliography of our Print Awareness research.