Literacy Lessons from the List

From the desk of Christie…

I am fortunate to have a little one that is bursting with eagerness to learn to read.  Although like his mother, he is not so eager when it comes to cleaning.  We have found that lists work beautifully for this chore.  For a while I have welcomed his help in writing lists and have paper and pencils accessible for him to create his own lists or add to a running list of groceries or errands of my own.  Does this mean he writes ONLY on the correct lists? Of course not! I have been known to send in the occasional bill with scribbling all over it. But the important thing is he is learning the real-world value of writing.  Words stand for something and have meaning and this case; it is the driving force to get that room clean!!

Let’s dive into the list itself.  On this particular day, Eli’s room was so messy I felt I needed to structure this list and added my own artist rendition (smile) of the objects to be picked up.  We worked from largest quantities in terms of items to be picked up.  Eli dictated to me what I needed to be recording.  I felt if he cleaned the six items I had listed we would be over the majority of this hurdle.  I left him in his room with his list for a while as I worked to narrow down a list of my own.  After a while I heard his sweet little voice calling down the hall, “Mama, how do I spell cars?”  I walked to him and asked him to help me with sounds.  I was surprised to find he had already created the picture and several attempts at the number 7 complete with a (.).  We repeated this process for the last item as well.  Be sure to check out the video for the surprise discovery in this word.  In looking closer I found he had added boxes and checks beside items as well.

Not only was his room mostly clean, he had encountered a life literacy lesson without knowing it.  Let’s think of all the literacy skills in this one little list:

• Real world writing– Eli is learning writing is intentional, purposeful and can help in the organization of daily routines.
• Emergent reading– Eli is learning that words represent something said and can be reread over and over from left to right, top to bottom.
• Oral communication-Eli is engaged in a meaningful conversation of asking and answering questions while “reading”.
• Reading strategies– Eli is using pictures to help him “read” his list.  He is learning to use this invaluable tool he will need as an emergent reader.  He shows ownership of this strategy in providing pictures of his own.
• Spelling– Eli continues to learn that print and sound match but that is not imperative when recording information in this particular task.

Of course there are math lessons learned as well but that’s another blog.  As parents and educators we need to seize these opportunities and provide the tools and flexibility for our little readers and writers without constraints and consequences and in doing so, learning will occur naturally.