2.5y–4.2y10 minReadingFree playFamily time
Meaningful Print: Symbol Compare Safari
Use your child's name, a cereal packet, and a book title to compare letters, numbers, and logos; notice similarities/differences; and connect print to first sounds through playful spotting and labeling.
What you'll need
Essentials
- paper or card
- a marker or pen
- 1 cereal packet or food box with clear print
- 1 familiar book with a clear title on the cover
Nice to have
- sticky notes or tape
- a small bowl/container for “sorting” symbols
- child-safe scissors (adult use)
Movement level: low
What you'll do
The 4-step guide, with what to look for at each step, is for signed-in parents.
What this develops
What it practices
- Enjoys rhyming and rhythmic activities.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Shows awareness of rhyme and alliteration.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Continues a rhyming string.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Hears and says the initial sound in words.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
- Can segment the sounds in simple words and blend them together and knows which letters represent some of them.Observable behaviour from Development Matters
Where it comes from
- Source
- Development Matters in the EYFS (DfE, 2012)
- Original guidance
- “Focus on meaningful print such as a child’s name, words on a cereal packet or a book title, in order to discuss similarities and differences between symbols.”
- License
- Open Government Licence v3.0
- Attribution
- © Crown Copyright 2012 (Development Matters in the EYFS, DfE)