Children’s
Feelings
 Children’s
feelings about their early experiences with print
impact their motivation to
learn to read. Positive and engaging early
literacy experiences make it easier for children
to persevere when
encountering challenges in learning to read.
Daily literacy activities in the prekindergarten
classroom should be playful and play-based.
Daily enjoyable and engaging encounters with
books
and print—powerful read-alouds, opportunities
to hold and look at books, acting out a favorite
story—guarantee that young children experience
literacy as important, enjoyable, and useful.
How adults react to children’s early attempts
to interact with books and print can also be highly
motivating. For example, a big smile and an encouraging
tone of voice let children know that their attempts
to retell a story or read a book to themselves
are reasons to celebrate.
Rewards of Reading
Help children appreciate and experience the rewards
of reading. While some book readings will
focus on skill development, at other times
your focus will be on meaning
and communication.
Help children see how reading can be enjoyable
and purposeful. It is important to enjoy
and discuss books with children. Include many
read-aloud experiences that center on what
is happening in the story, or on what children
are learning or noticing in the book, or how
characters are feeling. The rewards of reading
go beyond enjoying a story. Reading a letter
from a student who moved away, or off a chart
about the special person of the day, or a menu
in a restaurant demonstrates multiple purposes
for reading.
 Finding
ways to make relevant connections between literacy events in
school and children’s home lives is also
motivating for children. Letting children take
home a favorite book or labeling a photo journal
from a class field trip to share at home establishes
connections between home and school.
Remember, success
motivates! Early encounters with literacy
should be successful and enjoyable for children
if you want to be sure they will be motivated
to learn to read and to persist when facing reading
challenges. Readily available tools for reading
and writing, and your coaching and positive support,
ensure that children will experience success.
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