Literacy Moves Outdoors

Discipline: Professional Resources

Copyright: 2023

Grade(s): K - 5

Delivery Method: Print

Imprint: Heinemann

Author: Valerie Bang-Jensen

Literacy Moves Outdoors

Have you ever thought about what literacy might look like outside of the classroom? It’s everywhere! Think about it: the first word a young child may learn to read is STOP, and playing with chalk on a driveway or sidewalk is often a child’s first experience with drawing and writing. What if we take reading and writing out of the classroom and see how it is used, authentically, in the real world?

Why is outdoor learning important? There are many proven benefits to nature-based education! Research shows that it can boost academic performance as well as supporting physical, mental, and emotional health. When you provide outdoor and indoor learning experiences, students can expand their knowledge and apply concepts to the real world. Inviting students to connect with nature offers them a chance to use their senses to explore, and they are often more engaged and able to focus better. And let’s not forget the benefits of getting kids outside and moving around during the school day!

How do you get started teaching literacy outdoors? Literacy Moves Outdoors provides the rationale, resources, and information to help you get started, all organized to help maximize learning and connect what you do outside to what you teach inside. Each chapter takes a deep dive into a specific approach to literacy that you can move outdoors. Discover practical strategies and experiences for supporting literacy development outside of the traditional classroom environment, as well as varied entry points, logistics for implementation, literacy connections, resources, and relevant book lists. 

Explore and adopt practices that engage students, meet their interests and needs, and give them the tools to communicate and discover themselves and the world around them. Pick one thing that will work for you, and start moving literacy outdoors!