Exploring the Great Outdoors: Boosting Children's Literacy Skills through Nature Walks

As the seasons change and we enter the summer, I notice more and more people around my neighborhood going for walks. One of my favorite memories of when I was young was going on neighborhood walks or bike rides. Not only was it a special time with my loved ones, but it was a special moment of really connecting with my surroundings through my senses. I remember countless conversations about what I saw when walking, like noticing flowers blooming or new neighbors moving in. My family members and I also talked about the sensations we felt when we were outside. For example, if it was windy, we talked about how the wind felt so nice during a hot summer day and how it felt refreshing on our faces. I didn’t realize until much later in life (when I was in a teacher preparation program) how valuable these moments were for developing my literacy skills. In addition to being special and memorable to me, they added awareness of detail that I could transfer to reading and writing. Talking about the things we see, feel, hear, smell, and taste helps students develop language and awareness of these literary elements found in countless texts.

I’ll take you through a mini walk in my neighborhood and how I engage with my sensories. I’ll provide some conversation starters, even though these conversations may naturally come up in various ways.  

I see… Yo veo…

As I walk through my neighborhood, I see many things, like several parked cars, grass, trees, and flowers, but one thing caught my attention today: an empty parking lot in front of the school. I could stop there and point out an empty parking lot, but to further develop those literacy skills, I want to think about why the parking lot is empty. We can talk about the day of the week, the time of year, and the time of day. We are developing our curiosity about something we see by talking through some potential reasons why the parking lot is empty. In readings, asking questions about what we see in pictures or in our minds is a great literacy skill to practice! When reading, asking questions about what we see keeps readers engaged with the story, and it also enhances our reading skills by paying close attention to the story's details. 

If I asked myself a few questions about why the parking lot was empty, I came to the conclusion that summer break has officially begun, so all the teachers and school staff don’t come to the school as often as they do during the school year. Just as I had mini conversations with myself about the empty parking lot I saw at the start of my walk, you can also have similar conversations with the other five senses listed below. 

I feel… Yo siento…

On my walk, I went through the school field. Walking through the field felt softer on my feet, and it also made me feel cooler. I could feel the grass tickle my ankles as I made my way through the field. Touching and feeling our environment is one way we experience the world. By talking about how things feel when we touch them, we develop language skills of how to describe textures and sensations. 

As I continue my neighborhood walk, I’ll model other sensory experiences below. 

I hear… Yo escucho…

The school area is very quiet, but I can hear the cars driving by as I walk through my neighborhood. I can hear that the cars aren’t going too fast, but fast enough for me to hear the sound of it going by. 

I smell… Yo puedo oler…

On this particular day, I smelled chlorine. I walked by the community pool, and the chlorine smell was strong. 

I taste…  Sabe a…

Another way we can experience our environment is by taste! In my neighborhood walk, all I could taste was the warm air. I didn’t bring a snack with me or any water. I wondered,  “how I can experience or think about taste?”

I saw an empty Capri Sun packet, and I began to think about the taste of this beloved kid's drink. I thought about how refreshing it tastes when I drink a cold Capri Sun, and the different fruity flavors the juice contains. My favorite flavor as a child was fruit punch, and I would usually drink it whenever my parents bought me a Lunchable. It’s funny how engaging with a sensory experience can bring forth many memories, and they are sweet memories that you can share with your child, while also modeling language of how to describe different flavors. 

Reflecting on my neighborhood walk, I am reminded of how fun it is to think about and engage with our surroundings. I could easily plug in my headphones and listen to music, which I sometimes do, but feeling connected with my environment was enjoyable. These conversations about our senses and environment could naturally come up, which is awesome! Keep chatting with your kids about these things because they help with fundamental literacy skills that we sometimes take for granted. One thing to note, when having these conversations, try to incorporate open-ended questions to keep the dialogue going for longer. You’ll find the conversations richer and more opportunities for further language development.  My last tidbit of advice, these conversations do not have to be held in a single language to help your child with literacy skills, these conversations can be held in any language! I encourage you all to engage in conversations about what you see around your neighborhood or even what you may hear or smell. You’ll be surprised where the conversation may take you and your child! 

By Lizeth Lizarraga