As letters spelling out an animal’s name come to life, future teachers watch intently with sparkling eyes.

In back to back workshops, Jeni Huckstep, a Ready to Lead in Literacy coordinator, presented Word World and feelings.

Word World is a literacy-based presentation, and the feelings workshop helps students teach children how to handle emotions.

During the Word World presentation, future teachers watched a portion of the show Word World and were given a letter that spelled the names of animals. When the letters were connected, the animal shape was realized.

Students discussed strategies for connecting media, classroom and at home projects.

To show how this was done, Huckstep had students put together bracelets using words as charms making a sentence and letter books.

Maggie Belpedio, a senior early childhood education major, had a bracelet that read “I love wild star power.”

“I love being able to make these things you can use for lessen plans, baby sitters and student teachers,” said Rebecca Boone, a senior early childhood education major.

These activities are all tried, tested and adapted by Huckstep, who does the activities with children when she is asked to work in child parent groups.

“I adapt my workshops based on what works,” Huckstep said.

After the presentation she distributed literacy kits containing a book, DVD, Frisbee and pencils related to Super Y, an educational show on PBS.

“Word World is useful especially when it comes to spelling a phonics, but I would only use it with a follow up,” said Felicia Coster, a junior elementary education major and SAEYC president.

In the feelings workshop, Huckstep give out information from Parenting Counts. She went through role-playing and a simple emotion test to give students a understanding of how children feel.

Huckstep said children are not born with the knowledge of how to deal with emotions. Emotions are taught.

James Roedl can be reached at 581-7942 or jmroedl@eiu.edu.