Children engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts
Early childhood educators can provide a diverse range of age-appropriate books for children to access freely, read with an educator, or listen to in a group. These aren't limited to children's picture books, and can include cooking books, telephone directories, novels, and encyclopedias. Also, read books written in languages other than English.
Introduce children to other texts and media forms, like printed brochures, posters, flash cards, photos, product packaging and (e.g. cereal boxes).
Also, integrate literacy and technology. Teach children how to access information using the internet, telephones and other technological tools.
Learning experiences
- Encourage children to listen to sounds and patterns in speech, rhymes, poetry and music.
- Encourage play with themes of literacy and numeracy.
- Play games involving shapes. Let children experiment with mark making, which is emergent handwriting.
- When reading stories, discuss important concepts like stereotypes, fairness and empathy.
- Talk to your families about culture and storytelling. Can they share books, music or verbal stories with your children?
- Discuss how shopping and money work. The EYLF asks educators to “support children to analyse ways in which texts are constructed to present particular views and to sell products”.
- The EYLF recommends teaching “art as language and how artists can use the elements and principles to construct visual/musical/dance/media texts”.
Explore the EYLF
Explore other areas of Learning Outcome 5, Children are effective communicators.
Explore all the EYLF Learning Outcomes, with links to children's interest topics, on The Interest Forest.