Environmental print is all around: it is the symbols, letters, scripts and logos that surround us in our homes and the world outside. Young children will be surrounded by incidental print from the moment they open their eyes in the morning. Their pyjamas may be adorned with letters, numbers and logos relating to cartoon characters; in the bathroom they will encounter print on toothpaste and other toiletries, while at breakfast, they will see lettering and logos on containers ranging from cereal boxes to jam jars.
Recognising and interpreting such print is an important first step towards literacy.
Environmental print shows children the purpose of print as symbolic representation and as a form of communication. Once children's interest has been engaged in the purpose of incidental print, they enjoy searching for familiar symbols, logos, letters and numbers. They will begin to build up 'a sight vocabulary' of symbols and writing that has special meaning in their lives. Looking at print in the environment encourages them to begin to differentiate between scripts and symbols, as well as to recognise the purpose of signs and symbols in their world.
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