What is a looking for words literacy activity?
Looking for words is an everyday literacy activity. It involves looking for words when you and your child do the grocery shopping at the supermarket or local shops.
Why is looking for words a good literacy activity for kids?
Everyday activities like going to the local shops are fun ways to help your child’s literacy development. Also, everyday literacy activities don’t cost extra money or take up extra time.
Your child’s journey towards literacy involves learning to speak, listen, read, understand, watch, draw and write. It’s never too early to start helping your child learn these skills.
What you need for a looking for words activity
This activity uses your normal grocery shopping trip, so you don’t need any special equipment. Just look for words all around you, and share them with your child.
How to do a looking for words activity
- Sit with your child while you write a shopping list. If your child is old enough, they can write a list too. Or your child can pretend to write a list by scribbling on paper.
- Talk about what you plan to buy, including any foods your child likes. For example, ‘Let’s put milk on the list. Milk starts with an “m”. M-ilk’.
- When you’re at the shops, point out words on shop signs and product labels. Show your child how you use the list to help with remembering things. Your child can help by crossing things off the list as you pick them up.
- Encourage your child to identify words or letters on the things you buy. Ask your child to guess what words mean by looking at the first letter and the picture on a packet. See whether your child can find a product that begins with the first letter of their name.
How to adapt this literacy activity for children of different ages
Younger children
Your child might not be able to recognise letters, but your child can still have fun with words and sounds. For example, you could say, ‘B-bananas. We need bananas’. Hold things up for your child to see when you name them, and make sure your child watches your face while you’re talking. Encourage your child to try to make the sounds or say the words too.
Older children
Your child will be better at recognising letters and signs. Your child might even be able to read some. See whether your child can tell you what something is by reading a label. You could look more closely at a label and point out where you can read the ingredients or the country where the product came from.
How to adapt this literacy activity for children with diverse abilities
Autistic children
You could use a social story to help your autistic child know what to expect when you go to the supermarket. You could use pictures, words or both to describe leaving the house, arriving at the supermarket, looking for grocery items, having items scanned at the checkout, and paying for items.
Children with sensory sensitivities
You could reduce sensory stimulation by encouraging your child to wear a hoodie, headphones or sunglasses while you’re in the supermarket. You could also check whether one of your local supermarkets has sensory-friendly visiting hours.
Children with a lot of energy
Try giving your child exercises to do before you go into the supermarket – for example, star jumps or running on the spot. There might also be movements your child could do when you’re inside, like stretching or taking wider, slower steps than usual.
Children whose language skills are still developing
Talk about what you and your child are putting into your supermarket trolley. For example, you could name the colours, shapes and texture of the items. And ask your child questions to encourage conversation. For example, ‘Which colour apple should we get today?’
You can get more ideas for adapting this activity from our articles on play and autistic children and play and children with disability. You might also like to explore our other activity guides. They can all be adapted to suit children with diverse strengths and abilities.