Print surrounds us in the home and community. Environmental print is the print that is found in our everyday lives:

• Labels on food
• The logo of a favourite restaurant
• Traffic signs
• Street signs
• Names of buildings

Environmental print is usually the first print children recognize. It plays a strong role in helping children begin to understand that letters and symbols mean something.

Children begin to read the words through environmental print by recognizing the colour and shapes that surround the words. Eventually, children will begin to read the words without the colours and shapes. Recognizing environmental print makes children feel successful at "reading" and motivates them to read more.

Encourage families to use the environmental print in your community to help children begin the stages of early reading. Many NWT communities have signs written in the Aboriginal Languages of the community. It is a great way to encourage children to learn an Aboriginal language by reading the street signs and names of buildings.