A couple times a week, we have a "journal station" in our 4-5's class. We provide construction paper, recycled printer paper, a stapler, markers or crayons, and a parent-teacher whose job is to take dictation from the children. I wanted to share this as an example of how children who are not yet "reading," are nevertheless literate. Note, for instance, the author/illustrator's use of picture book conventions like spreading illustrations across two pages, the inclusion of a blurb for the back cover, and a clear beginning, middle, and end. He also was clearly considering his audience (classmates) by including "super heroes" (which have been a big part of our classroom dramatic play so far this year), silliness like "rabbit cars" (which he knows will generate laughter), and a reference to the familiar painting of a dragon that lives in our classroom.
"Once there was a monster. A scary monster.
"Then that scary monster went out to go to a really fancy restaurant where only people that were nice would go to. Then the people saw the monster and they said, 'The super heroes should get that monster quick!'
"Then Bat Rabbit got that monster.
"Then Super Rabbit was driving his car. A rabbit car!
"Then Mr. Rabbit's car went in his garage where his parking spot was.
"That's good. Super Rabbit saves the day. The End.
Back cover "blurb": "This is a story about the red dragon in the picture at Woodland Park Preschool."
And here's the dragon he's writing about:
This is what preschool literacy looks like.
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