Using Print in the Environment to Promote Early Writing

Print in the environment is typically posted in early childhood classrooms. However, the print that exists is often not meaningful to children, and teachers rarely engage children in using the print. This is a missed opportunity to support children's writing. This article presents research‐based ideas for engaging children with meaningful print in the environment and provides ways for creating print that are related to children's interests, aligned to current classroom content, and co‐created with children. Strategies for how to engage children with print in the environment are also outlined.