How to Teach Literacy in the VPK Classroom: Practical Strategies for Success

Andrea Alvarez
Nov 7, 2025
3 min read

Updated: Nov 22, 2025

If you’re teaching VPK, you already know how much we do every single day — circle time, centers, assessments, and all the learning in between!

One of the biggest goals we have in VPK is building early literacy skills that set our students up for success in kindergarten and beyond.

But “teaching literacy” doesn’t have to mean long lessons or worksheets. In fact, it’s the little things we do every day that make the biggest difference.

Here’s how you can build strong literacy routines in your classroom — and make it fun for you and your students.

1. Play with Sounds Every Day

Phonological awareness (listening to and playing with sounds) is where literacy truly begins.

You don’t need fancy materials — just your voice and a few minutes each day!

Try this:

Start morning circle with rhyming games (“cat, hat, bat”).
Clap out syllables in everyone’s names.
Go on a “listening walk” outside and talk about the sounds you hear.

Keep it short, playful, and consistent. Over time, you’ll notice your students start recognizing and producing sounds on their own — that’s the magic of early literacy!

2. Make Letters Come Alive

When introducing letters, go slow and make it meaningful. I love connecting letters to our classroom themes — it helps kids make real-world connections!

For example:If your theme is Weather, focus on S for sun, R for rain, and C for cloud.

Add in sensory play — tracing letters in sand or shaving cream, or building them with playdough. Kids learn best when they can touch and move.

Focus on helping them recognize, name, and say the sound — that’s what sticks!

3. Read Aloud (All. The. Time.)

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be this: never skip storytime!

Read aloud every single day — and don’t be afraid to reread the same books. Familiar stories build confidence and comprehension.

Make it interactive:

Ask, “What do you think will happen next?”
Let them act out the story or draw their favorite part.
Use silly voices (they’ll love it — and so will you!).

In my VPK Pacing Calendar, I include weekly book suggestions that tie right into your themes — so you’ll always have literacy-rich ideas ready to go.

4. Encourage “Kid Writing”

Even scribbles count as writing in VPK! Every mark on paper helps children connect spoken and written language.

Set up a simple Writing Center with paper, clipboards, and markers. Label items in your classroom so print is everywhere.

During play, look for natural writing moments — “Can you write a grocery list for the kitchen center?” or “Let’s make signs for our block city!”

Remember, it’s not about perfection — it’s about confidence.

5. Build Language Through Talk and Play

Strong readers are strong talkers. Encourage your students to use words all day long!

Ask open-ended questions:

“How did you build that tower?”
“What should we do next?”
“How do you know that?”

Play-based learning is full of literacy opportunities — dramatic play, storytelling, pretend menus, and puppet shows all help build vocabulary and comprehension naturally.

6. Observe and Celebrate Progress

You don’t need long assessments to track literacy growth — your daily observations tell you a lot!

Watch for things like:

Recognizing letters in their names
Hearing beginning sounds
Retelling parts of a story
Showing interest in books

Teaching literacy in VPK is about creating joy around language — reading, talking, writing, and playing. When children love books and feel confident expressing themselves, everything else falls into place.

If you’d love a little extra structure and inspiration, my VPK Pacing Calendar is designed to make planning literacy (and all your subjects!) simple and stress-free.

It includes weekly themes, book lists, and ready-to-use ideas that align beautifully with the Florida VPK standards.

Introducing my VPK Supplemental Curriculum (10-Month Lesson Plan Bundle).