Learning to Read (and Teach Reading!) Under Quarantine
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As I reflected on the reality that many parents are unexpectedly faced with the daunting task of teaching their young child/ren to read — without the direct, daily, in-person assistance of teachers who are trained to do this — I imagined one of the first questions that bubbles up is simply: How do I even know where to start? This post is written with that question in mind.
One of the first assessments I conduct with primary students at the beginning of a school year is called the “Concepts About Print” assessment. Designed by New Zealand educator Marie Clay, the CAP task is designed to determine what a child understands about how books work and what s/he has yet to notice or figure out (Clay, 1972; Clay, 2017). In the world of literacy education, this idea is referred to as print awareness. I believe having an understanding of print awareness generally — and the Concepts About Print assessment specifically— will be helpful to parents with students entering Pre-K - 1st grade as we work to creatively and collaboratively raise the next generation of readers.
Background
In order for children to become successful readers, they need to understand the “rules of the road” when it comes to reading texts (Clay, 2017). Once fluent, readers do not explicitly think of the rules. Nevertheless, there is a predictable set of standards that govern books, and knowledge of these expectations is essential in order to be and become a successful reader. For example, in the United States, the title is on the front cover. Print moves from left to right. A space separates words on a page. Words are made from letters, and so on. Becoming a fluent reader requires a clear understanding of these conventions.
Children with print awareness begin to discover the relationship between spoken and written language. When children are read to on a regular basis they begin to pick up on the predictable patterns that guide reading. This is evidenced when a child mimics particular behaviors as they attempt to read books on their own. For example, envision a child who opens a book, looks at a picture on the page, and narrates what is happening in the picture. S/he has developed an understanding that the pictures in the book support the story that is told. S/he may not (yet) demonstrate awareness that the words on the adjoining page dictate the precise story, but s/he understands that the pictures correspond with the words and help to tell a story. These are signs of print awareness, or what Marie Clay refers to as “Concepts About Print” (Clay, 2017).
Studies have shown that when a reader no longer has to think about the concepts of print, his/her knowledge about letters, sounds, and words begins to expand rapidly (McNaughton, 1995). In this sense, helping children develop an understanding of concepts about print advances them on the path to being and becoming successful readers. But, how do we know where children are with their understanding of concepts about print?
In 1972, Clay developed the Concepts About Print task. Designed to help teachers gauge a child’s developing awareness of the “rules of the road” that guide printed language, the CAP is typically used with children between the ages of five and seven. Since its original design, many have modified the task to fit specific needs of programs and contexts. No matter the format, the goal of the task remains the same: To gain a clear sense of children’s understandings and misunderstandings around how print works in order to further their development as beginning readers.
One of many reasons I value the CAP is that it can be facilitated by simply reading a book with a child and stopping to ask a few questions along the way. In other words, the CAP assessment is a relatively easy way to gauge what an aspiring reader has figured out about books and what s/he has yet to notice. While originally designed for educators, the tool can be equally informative for parents, especially now.
Elements of the Concepts About Print assessment include:
Book Awareness – Which way does the book go? (right side up/upside down) Where is the front of the book? Where is the back of the book? How do I turn the pages of a book?
Concepts of Text— Where are the pictures? Where are the words?
Directional arrangement of print – Where should I start reading? Where do I read next?
Difference between a letter and a word — Show me a word. Show me a letter.
Page Sequencing — Where do I read after this?
Return Sweep — Where do I read when I get to the end of a line of text?
Reading terminology — word, letter, sentence, page
Punctuation — Do you know what this (period) is? What is it for?
Administering the CAP Assessment
Given the current situation surrounding schooling, it may be helpful to think about the CAP in two ways: formal and informal. The informal model is likely most suited for parents who have opted for an e-learning approach to schooling as it allows you to assess your child during a bedtime story and can be conducted across the arc of a single story or more. A check-list to guide this process is available here.
For those who are homeschooling, you may wish to administer the Concepts About Print assessment more formally using this tool. The more formal model will enable you to document learner growth over time and can be added to your child’s portfolio to serve as evidence of academic growth for the 2020-2021 school year.
Whichever model you choose, the Concepts About Print assessment will provide you with a clear sense of what your child understands about how books work and, conversely, which concepts about print your child still needs to acquire. You can use what you’ve learned from the assessment to inform the nature of future reading experiences together.
Picking a Book to Use During the CAP Assessment
Marie Clay crafted specific books for the CAP, though it is not necessary to utilize one of her texts to administer the assessment. If you wish to use a book designed specifically for the CAP, you can order them here.
In general, books at guided reading levels C - F work well. These are texts that include:
Distinct layout of print and illustrations
Good spacing of words
Multiple lines of text
Some basic sight words (I, me, is, am, etc.)
Basic punctuation marks (period, question mark, exclamation point)
As example, reliable pieces of children’s literature include:
Little Quack
Go Dog, Go!
Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See?
Bathtime for Biscuit
Administering the CAP
Whether you’ve chose the formal or informal model, the CAP is administered by sitting one-on-one with a learner while you read an engaging early-level book, asking the child to help you — with the specific questions you will pose as part of the assessment — as you read.
A sample video of a formal assessment can be viewed here. The video features a boy (4y, 6mo) who demonstrates knowledge of book composition and understands that books tell a story. The boy clearly comprehends the concept of a word in spoken language, but not yet in printed language. He seems to demonstrate an understanding of print directionality moving from top to bottom, but has no apparent awareness of directionality from left to right. The boy understands the concept of a letter, and is able to name several letters, but does not yet recognize words or punctuation. Relatedly, he does not yet show one-to-one correspondence between spoken and printed words. Additional reading experiences will likely develop his awareness of the concepts he has yet to notice or understand. Reading experiences that draw explicit attention to words (i.e. a parent moving his/her finger along the text) will help him develop awareness that the print carries the message. Pointing to words on road signs, store fronts, or packaged food items will help him begin to hone in on the concept of a word.
Using CAP to Inform Instruction
Once I have a clear sense of what a learner understands about books (as well as what understanding s/he has yet to develop), I am better able to ensure I model particular concepts during a read-aloud experience or other literacy-based tasks. For example if a child does not yet understand that the words in the book carry the message on each page, I can be sure to utilize think-aloud to draw attention to this. “Look at the picture. What do you think will happen on this page? Ok, now I’m going to read the words. Let’s see if we were right…(read words on page)…”
It is important to keep in mind that most print awareness develops over time through the practice of reading books with a parent, teacher, or older sibling. Some concepts about print – for example, concept of a word and concept of a letter – can take the course of a year to develop. Our goal as teachers and parents is not to try and “teach learners the code” but instead to create conditions in which they can figure it out on their own. This leads to learning that lasts.
If you have questions or concerns about administering the CAP task, feel free to contact me: maggie@tiplearning.com.
Additional Resources:
Silly Ways to Teach Print Awareness
Concepts of Print: Ideas for Parents
Citations:
Clay, M. (1972). The early detection of reading difficulties: A diagnostic survey. Auckland, NZ: Heinemann.
Clay, M. (2017). Concepts about print: What has a child learned about the way we print language? Auckland, New Zealand: The Marie Clay Literacy Trust.
McNaughton, S. (1995) Patterns of emergent literacy: Processes of development and transition. Auckland, NZ: Oxford University Press.
Thompson, L. (2005). Little Quack’s bedtime. NY: Scholastic.
Up Next: I know what my child understands about books, now what?