1. Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd.
NETA Power Point Slides to accompany
Prepared by Luigi Iannacci
Trent University
Copyright © 2013 by Nelson Education Ltd.

2. Chapter Five
Early Literacy
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3. OVERVIEW
What we Understand About Young Children’s Early Literacy Learning
-terms and components
Assessing Early Literacy
-principles and forms
Multiliteracies Pedagogy: Experiences That Create Early Literacy Learning Opportunities
-practices and events
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4. WHAT WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOUNG CHILDREN’S EARLY LITERACY LEARNING
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5. A literacy-filled Kindergarten
Let’s re-read pages of the chapter, how does the introduction outline the ways in which a typical day’s agenda is presented and activities are described in terms of how they provide specific literacy learning opportunities for the students.
Record in point form the literacy activities in which Laura’s students participated
Once your group is finished, share your notes. Three key questions for your discussions are; what does the activity entail, the purpose of the activity and how the children will demonstrate their learning
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6. What would you do next?
As a group, design additional literacy learning experiences or expand upon ones that are already offered. Select one of these instructional components to focus upon;
a rich literacy environment
read-aloud
shared reading
structuring learning through literature
shared writing
Pages 193 – 195 provide clear examples of what other experiences could be offered to support early literacy learning
Use the handout provided, the chart will capture your groups’ ideas
Afterward, each group could share some of their ideas…
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7. Early Literacy: Theory to Practice
-Let’s watch some video clips that show Kindergarten children actively involved in literacy activities
Firstly, Sheila Owen’s class provides us with a glimpse into a literacy-rich Kindergarten…
Before we view the clip, I wanted to talk about The Language Experience Approach. You read about this on pages 205 t in our text and I wanted to analyze the components with you before we see it in action in the clip.
Show a video that presents Kindergarten children actively involved in literacy activities. The American-based video Becoming Readers & Writers: Sheila Owen’s Kindergarten shows a classroom in which children are actively immersed in a variety of literacy practices - Annenberg Learning Organization at
Participants can take notes regarding the literacy environment and practices, hand out graphic organizer
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8. Language Experience Approach
 Experience something together as a class. 
Discuss the experience as a class. This step is critical! 
Students make gains in oral development and intellectual growth needed for success in reading as they recall and analyze an experience. 
The teacher writes the story on chart paper as each student verbally contributes a sentence. Say aloud each word that you write. (Note that not each student needs to contribute to every LEA session but should do so over the course of several LEA sessions.)
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9. LEA continued
Students can occasionally share the writing based upon their ability to do so. E.G., The teacher knows that Rohan can spell the word “lion” and asks him to do so on the chart.
 When the students’ account has been fully dictated, the teacher reads it back to the class moving a finger under each word as he or she is reading to reinforce left to right progression.
 The teacher asks the class to chorally reread the chart with him or her.
 The teacher asks the class to chorally reread the chart unassisted. 
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10. And a bit more…
The teacher may ask individual students to identify specific words on the chart or read a sentence.
The experience does not stop with the writing. Other related activities can be included over the next few days.
Now we will watch the Kindergarten clip…please make notes on the organizer. Discuss our findings, strengths of the program, any concerns and questions
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11. K and primary video resources
this is an online resource developed for elementary teachers by the Ontario Ministry of Education. It includes modules on Literacy and Numeracy with videos of teachers in action, graphic organizers, lesson plans and more.
this is the latest curriculum resource site for Ontario teachers.
matters-building-blocks-for-learning, this site shares LNS videos and webcasts to deepen educators’ understanding on a myriad of topics
Watch Helen Tomasini’s Shared reading clip
Watch Literacy throughout the day in a Kindergarten
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12. Emergent Literacy
“Emergent literacy” was coined decades ago by psychologist and the creator of Reading Recovery, Marie Clay
She revolutionized this area of study be declaring that children arrived at school with some knowledge about print literacy
Research in this field focuses on the ways in which print literacy knowledge develops. There is an understanding that development occurs in a predictable series of stages
Optimum learning conditions are seen as those that involve active learning to support students’ growth
The goal is to prepare children for school literacy instruction
Do you know what Reading Recovery is? Explain
Have you seen the Observation Survey? Explain
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13. Early Literacy
Similar to Emergent literacy in that is also recognizes young children as active learners who bring knowledge and skills with them to school
However, Early Literacy is not strictly concerned with print knowledge but all the language arts
Literacy is culturally specific and there are no universal stages
The goal is to change schools to better serve the needs of the children that they serve
See the chart on page 168 that provides an overview on the two perspectives
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14. Components Cultural Views and Functions of Written Language
expecting meaning from written language
expecting purpose from written language
Nature and Forms of Written Language
understanding that oral and written language are related
matching words heard with those in print (eye–voice matching)
internalizing the language of books
Oral Language–Print Relationship
differentiating between pictures and print
understanding how print works (conventions of print)
matching sounds and letters in words (alphabetic principle)
understanding terms related to books, reading, and writing
-This table can be found on p. 169 of Constructing Meaning. It is from Purcell-Gates, V. 1998, p. 54.
Not all children take the same path but certain understandings are likely to be helpful
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15. ASSESSING EARLY LITERACY
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16. Assessment Principles
Responsive: captures individual differences, culturally fair, child centered, rather than just convenient Interactive: shows what children learn through working with adults, children, and materials Relevant: connections between and among teaching, learning, and assessment are explicit Comprehensive: provides evidence of children’s learning in all areas of development
-Information on this slide and the next can be found on p of Constructing Meaning. It is from Jolongo, M. R. (2007).
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17. Assessment Principles
Integrative: shows the complex processes of language learning, enables students and teachers to set goals and make better instructional decisions
Communicative: demonstrates advantages of learning activities and materials that are concrete and meaningful to young children
Supportive: promotes teachers’ efforts in counteracting a test-driven curriculum by establishing a system for organizing and recording observations
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18. Anecdotal observations
Assessment Forms
Anecdotal observations
Checklists
Interviews
Samples of work
Cloze and Miscue analysis
Running records
-Prior to speaking about and showing examples of the forms of assessment on this slide,
Think back to Kidwatching assignment, informed observation is very powerful
Show teachertube clip of a Kindergarten child reading
Turn to the Early Literacy Checklist on pages 178 and 179 as a guide here
Assessment templates from Thinking it Through, Observation Survey, Book Handling Interview questions on page 184
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19. MULTILITERACIES PEDAGOGY: EXPERIENCES THAT CREATE EARLY LITERACY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
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20. Practices and Events a rich literacy environment read-aloud
shared reading
structuring learning through literature
shared writing
-Prior to speaking about and showing examples of these practices and events, consider using Chapter Five, Options 1, 2, 3, 7, 9 and/or 10 of the Constructing Meaning Instructor Guide to help familiarize students with these learning opportunities.
From an Early Years perspective, what are some of the problems associated with worksheets and mass produced workbooks?
Pages
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21. SUMMARY
Early literacy is meaning making focussed and responsive to children’s funds of knowledge and interests
Effective early literacy assessment captures the variety of ways children demonstrate their funds of knowledge
Effective early literacy practices and events allow children to communicate in a variety of ways and use/foster their funds of knowledge
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