Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/outdoor-authors/5023514/
Playing a game of tag.
Digging in a sandbox.
Zipping down the slide.
These are typical images evoked when thinking of young children on the playground. But with resourcefulness and creativity there are many new possibilities for taking literacy learning outdoors. Writing and recess can be compatible activities. Plus, writing outside provides the added benefits of fresh air and sunshine. When children connect with the natural environment in a variety of educational and recreational settings throughout their childhood, they grow healthier, wiser, and more content (NAECS/SDE, 2008).
Extending classroom learning outdoors results in unique educational experiences (Wellhousen, 2002). While science, social studies, or even art activities may be routinely offered as outdoor experiences, providing opportunities for children’s literacy development during outdoor play is often overlooked. Parents and teachers can greatly enhance children’s literacy development by sparking their interest, enthusiasm, and curiosity about the reading and writing process in unique places and unexpected ways. Providing print-related props and planned literacy experiences on the playground opens a whole new world of possibilities for reading and writing (Giles & Wellhousen, 2006).
One of the most important elements in developing literacy skills is adults who stimulate children’s interest, scaffold experiences, and respond to children’s earnest initial attempts to communicate through ...