Introduce your preschooler to grocery literacy the next time you are at supermarket.  It is a great way of building literacy and math skills.

                                                       photo from www.pbs.org

1. Focus on reading readiness skills.

Start with any letter and make it a game to locate items in the grocery store.  For example, start with the letter B.  You can point out bananas, broccoli, beans, and berries.  Repeat the word with emphasis on the letter and have your children repeat the word several times with you.

 You may be able to locate the print word for bananas, broccoli or whatever letter and word you are working on at the supermarket and/or at home.  The repetition of the audio sound and the visualization of the print word will be the beginning steps toward learning how to read.

 2. Focus on vocabulary skills.

Write the words you have emphasized in the supermarket at home.  Place the written word on a piece of paper on your cabinet above their belly, below their nose, on the bottom shelf and between other items .  Have fun locating the word and sounding out the words!

Help them learn how to use superlatives in locating objects, such as which is bigger or the biggest vegetable or fruit in the supermarket.  Have them point out to you the smallest or largest item in the cart.

3. Focus on math skills.

Teach your child how to shop for your family. Ask your child, for example, “How many oranges do they need to purchase for everyone in the family?”

Count how many members are in your family together and then ask your child how many apples they should buy. Count the apples together as you place them in a bag.

Look at the shapes of the items you look at and purchase at the supermarket.  What shape is a cereal box?  What else in the store has the same shape?  Look for circles, squares, and triangles shapes in the store!

Engage in these skills one at time or as many as possible when the child is ready to play with you and others.  Find other ways to be creative at the supermarket and have your child have a fun learning experience.

From:  Reading Rockets’ Reading Together section:

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/c442/