While learning to read and write takes time, there are effective ways to tap into what children already know and use that information to jump start the literacy process. One is through environmental print, the print that surrounds children in their natural environments, from billboards to lunch boxes. This handy and engaging book of environmental print (EP) activities brings in research from the National Reading Panel to support the use of EP across the curriculum in early childhood classrooms. Where relevant, the authors indicate how the activities meet the goals of both Early Reading First and Reading First. The research and activities in the book supply teachers with an understanding of the importance of using EP to promote literacy learning, and a jumping off point for effectively using EP right away.

This book offers educators:

· Foundational (Clay, Goodman) and recent (Vukelich, Schickedanz, Burns, Snow) research to support the use of environmental print in developing children's early literacy.

· A wealth of environmental print activities for teaching language arts, math, health, science, social studies, art, music, and dramatic play.

· Activities that specify goals/literacy skills, materials, instructions, variations and extensions, assessment practices, as well as related literature and songs to strengthen concepts

· Suggestions for showing parents how to use environmental print with their children

An environmental print book list and a sample letter to parents