Anchor Texts & Experiences
For all children, but especially dual and multilingual learners, exposure to a wide variety of vocabulary is key to making meaning and promoting oral language abilities. Anchor texts and experiences are intentionally planned and focus on children’s interests, and concepts and ideas that are being explored. Key words are selected and introduced in children’s home languages to help build the comprehension connection and foster meaningful interactions.
POLL Strategy: Anchor Texts and Anchor Experiences promote dual language learners’ oral language abilities, conceptual knowledge, and social-emotional development.
Anchor Texts are books with words and picture books that are selected intentionally, based on themes, and used repetitively to foster vocabulary and concept development.
Anchor Experiences are hands-on activities based on children’s interests where words are introduced and used repetitively to help support meaning making.
- Daily routines and rituals.Â
- Family traditions and customs that are familiar to the child.Â
- Concepts and ideas that are being explored.
- Moments when the child is deeply focused on something (e.g., lights, faces, trees).Â
- Hands-on interactions with picture books.Â
- Special hands-on activities that are planned by the provider.
- Think about the children in your care and their interests.Â
- Select 3-4 key books (Anchor Texts) related to a particular topic or concept you will explore.Â
- Plan hands-on activities (Anchor Experiences) that are of interest and relevant to your children and explore concepts and ideas built on that experience.
- Choose at least 3-5 key vocabulary words from the Anchor Text or Anchor Experience to introduce and reinforce throughout the week.
- Make sure to introduce key vocabulary and concepts in home languages and English so all children can actively participate.
- Introduce vocabulary from the Anchor Text in home languages and English prior to reading the book. Family members or community volunteers can help you do this if staff members do not speak the languages of the children.Â
- Picture books can be adapted for multi-age settings and narrated in any language.
Anchor Texts for Center-Based Child Care
Anchor Texts for Family Child Care (FCC)
Anchor Texts for Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Child Care
Anchor Experiences for Center-Based Child Care
Anchor Experiences for Family Child Care (FCC)
Anchor Experiences for Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN) Child Care
Anchor Texts:Â
Interactive, shared book reading is one of the most effective ways to promote vocabulary development, listening comprehension, motivation to read, and early literacy skills such as phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and print awareness. Appropriate use of books varies with the age of the child. Books are selected based on the predictable capacities and interests of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.
When books are thoughtfully selected, children are highly motivated to listen and hear them repeatedly, which promotes understanding. Children love stories, especially those that reflect their identity, family, and language. Age-appropriate books introduce children to new concepts and vocabulary.
The power of reading is not in the book alone, but in the conversations before, during, and after reading. This type of interaction is more likely to occur in a small group than in the whole group or even in a one-on-one reading situation. Reading in small groups and re-reading the same book are especially effective strategies for young Dual Language Learners (DLLs).
Providers address children of varying ages with the use of both wordless picture books as well as picture books with text. As providers read the books and talk about the pictures with children, their verbal interactions can become more lengthy and complex.
Anchor Experiences:Â
Children are active learners. They need to explore the world physically and mentally. To build understanding, children need meaningful experiences that help them understand and build on prior knowledge. The provider’s role is to scaffold children’s learning during the various experiences they provide. Scaffolding involves providing just the right amount of support to help children make progress.
Providers collaborate with children on projects or investigations, using open-ended questions to stimulate and extend discussions. They listen carefully to children’s comments and respond to their questions and concerns. Providers intentionally plan opportunities for children to hear and speak their home language during these anchor experiences.