For my inquiry, I decided to take a close look at how teachers could
make their outdoor environments just as literacy rich as their indoor classroom
environments. I found this topic very interesting because I feel that teachers
often neglect the playgrounds. Instead of bringing the intentionality from the
classroom outside with them, they just cross recess off as a time that they do
not need to seriously consider or plan for. To discover activities and strategies
I could implement while outside, I went to UT's ELC to observe both their
indoor and outdoor environments and have also pulled many ideas from Natural Playscapes by Rusty Keeler and
Designs for Living and Learning: Transforming Early Childhood Environments by
Deb Curtis and Margie Carter.
Though
these avenues I have discovered many ways to purposefully included and
encourage literacy while outside. One of the most interesting ways that I
discovered was simply bringing books and writing supplies outside with you. I
observed this at the UT’s ELC and many of the children chose to participate in
these activities instead of sliding, etc. By bringing out a blanket and books
the teacher put a new twist on reading and by supplying writing/drawing supplies
the children were inspired by the outdoors to draw and write about a whole new
array of interesting things.
For
older children I though the concept of teaching jump rope rhymes to your class
before heading out was very interesting. (Curtis and Carter) Not only is it a
way to encourage your children to play with and become more familiar with
rhymes but it is also a great way to get them physically active. 
Another
way to incorporate literacy while outdoors is to make a letter scavenger hunt.
With or without cameras you could ask children to find each letter of the
alphabet somewhere on the playground (whether it is how a branch is shaped or
how the fence meets, etc.) If you decided to use cameras, you could then use
the pictures to create you class’s very own alphabet book. (Keeler)
Some of the other ways I found to incorporate literacy while outside
included labeling objects just as you do for you indoor environment, a sight
word hid and seek game, creating stationery by doing rubbings, and acting out a
story like We’re going on a Bear Hunt
around the playground.
I feel that all of activities are great ways to make the outside
environment literacy rich and that having them already complied will allow me “pull
them out of my back pocket” when I need them during my future teaching.
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