Symbols: Early Literacy

When most children first come to Raintree in their Nursery year, they are not yet able to read or write their names. Upon arrival, each child is assigned a symbol with which they come to identify themselves. Developmentally, the brain interprets shapes before letters. The children learn to recognize and draw shapes as a precursor to writing. For example, before learning to write the letter "A", the children learn to draw a triangle. With their symbols, these shapes have deeper meaning. This month, we introduced our Nursery class to their symbols as part of the "signing in'' process of the day. We will be working on tracing, drawing, and molding Playdough to create our symbols. It is a goal that by the end of the school year, the class will be able to draw their symbols with little assistance.

This Nursery friend chose to practice her symbol with both markers and Playdough.

She said, “My symbol. I can do it. I want to color. Straight lines.”

-Ashley Hummert