We use Environmental Print during the beginning of the school year in kindergarten to help our kiddos see that they are already on their way to reading! They are so excited to be able to read, "Exit" or "Closed" signs! We use the book, I Read Signs, by Tana Hoban to start us off.

Then, we enlist a parent volunteer to help our students act as a photographer and take pictures of signs around the school and school grounds. Each child takes a picture of a sign and then the parent takes a picture of the child by their sign. I compile the book into a power point presentation and make a copy for the reading center.

Of course, they LOVE seeing themselves as an artist and an author.
Next, we send home some shapes on a paper for children to make signs at home and return them to school. Along with the sign homework, we send an explanation of Environmental Print to help inform them about beginning reading strategies. We use something like this from the Reading Rockets website:

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/environmental-print

Check out the website for an easier to read print out!

When most children have returned their signs to school, we allow them to make a sign book. This year my students worked for 45 minutes on their books! I provided some extra shapes, a few copies of typical signs, and markers/crayons/scissors/glue. As they worked we talked about letters, letter sounds, arrows, pictures & words for meaning, the no symbol, and so many more reading ideas!

You can find this complete lesson in our lesson book,