Literacy Development: ABC Books
Alphabet Books (or ABC Books) are a great strategy for building literacy development for all ages. These books address many topics: animals, food, places, seasons, clothing, people, etc... ABC Books usually include interesting drawings or art. They also introduce the sounds and letters of the ordered alphabet in the Target Language. They can help learners develop vocabulary, prediction skills and phonemic awareness.
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"A is for Art" by Stephen T. Johnson is one example of a published ABC book that could be used in the language classroom. These types of books are available for purchase in different languages, but can also be created in the classroom as a literacy development activity. See below for more details. |
How are such books created?
Authors must think of a theme or topic and brainstorm for many words for each letter to make sure that an alphabet book about this topic is interesting. Authors must thenwork with artists to create images for the words and themes.
Below are six steps for preparing an Alphabet Book with language learners. This can be done as a grouped activity or individually.
1. Choose a topic.
2. Choose a set of letters (sets of 3-5 letters per group, if students are grouped).
3. Brainstorm for many words in the SL for each letter.
4. Choose the best word for each letter. Do they coincide with the theme?
5. Write 1-2 sentences using as many words as possible.
6. Draw, create, or find images for each page.
*Note! New pages/letters could be added throughout the year to provide scaffolding for students.