Walk into any preschool classroom, grocery store, or neighborhood street, and you’re surrounded by silent storytellers; words, numbers, and symbols quietly guiding our every move. We call it “print,” but it’s so much more than ink on a page. It’s safety. It’s connection. It’s the bridge between what we know and what we’ve yet to learn.
We live in a world surrounded by print. More than just the words in a book, a street sign, or a journal entry. Print is woven into almost everything we do. Recipes, warnings, labels, directions, maps…the list goes on. So many parts of our day rely on it. It may sound dramatic, but it’s true: print is more than ink on a page. It carries meaning, provides understanding, and connects us to the world around us. Sometimes, it can even mean the difference between safety and danger.
Think about it:
- A candy bar wrapper lists its ingredients. If you have a nut allergy or need to limit sugar, reading that label could protect your health; or even save your life.
- A receipt records what you bought and how much you spent. If something you purchased is missing, it’s your proof to make it right.
- A packet of seeds includes planting instructions. That information helps you give a plant exactly what it needs to grow and thrive.
- An emergency card in a preschool classroom holds essential information a teacher needs to keep a child safe and contact their family if needed.
Print matters. It comes in countless languages, styles, and symbols, reflecting the diversity of our world. Writing is more than communication… it’s connection, understanding, and shared meaning.
In a preschool classroom, print can also be a bridge between a child’s familiar home world and the new environment of school. Recognizing a logo from the grocery store, a familiar cereal box label, or a stop sign on the wall can bring feelings of comfort and safety. These small but powerful moments help children feel at home in a new space while giving them early literacy practice that will carry into their reading and writing journey.
By surrounding children with environmental print such as labels, signs, name cards, menus, charts… we’re not just decorating. We’re building confidence, sparking curiosity, and connecting their learning to real life.
When we fill our classrooms with meaningful print, we give children more than words. We give them tools to understand their world, to feel safe in it, and to see themselves as part of it. And isn’t that what education is all about helping them read the world before they even read the words?
The Transforming Teacher 