Debbie King Willamette Education Service District

Today’s Agenda 1. What is early literacy? 2. What early literacy is not 3. Language and literacy 4. Stages of early literacy and language 5. Developmental activities for literacy 6. Practice!

What is early literacy Your child’s early experiences with books and language lay the foundation for success in learning to read. Children prepare to read long before they enter school. Early literacy is a baby who chews on a book. Early literacy is a toddler who wants his favorite book over and over. Early literacy is a preschooler who “reads” the story to you from memory.

There are many pathways to literacy. Early experiences can be initiated by the child or by other people. It can be playful or work like. May take place in the home, the neighborhood, preschool, or daycare center. Early literacy experiences can include pretending to write and read stories, writing a thank-you note to grandma, or listening to a story.

The most important thing that YOU can do to foster early literacy is to provide an atmosphere that is: Fun Verbal Stimulating

You Are The Key To a child’s success In learning to read

What Early Literacy is Not It is not “formal teaching of reading” to younger children. Formal instruction that pushes infants and toddlers to read is not developmentally appropriate.

How early literacy relates to language development Learning to read is built on a foundation of language skills that children start learning at birth. Understanding what is said Imitating what they hear Using more and more words as they develop Using their language to express their thoughts Using their language to get their needs and wants met Connecting letter sounds to words

Statistics According to a 2006 kindergarten teacher survey by ODE, 19.4 % of children enrolled in Multnomah County were “not ready to succeed” because they lacked the necessary language and pre-reading skills. Nationally, this rises to 35%. There is a 90% probability that a child who is a poor reader in the first grade will be a poor reader in the 4 th grade.

Statistics cont’d The nation’s report card of 2003, stated that 40% of 4 th graders and 31% of 8 th graders are below the basic skills level. Children develop much of their capacity for learning in the first 3 years of life, when their brain grows to 90% of the eventual adult weight. The prevalence and stability of preschool problems of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity suggests a number of links to a lack early literacy.

Statistics cont’d Almost 3 million school age children have some form of learning disability and receive special education in school. Children with developmental speech/language impairments are at a higher rate for reading disability that typical peers with no history of speech/language impairment.

Stages of Development Literacy Rich Experiences Practice Child’s Interest Literacy Skills

5 Components of Emergent Language 1. Symbolic Development / Print Motivation A child’s interest in and enjoyment of books. 2. Spoken Language / Vocabulary Using language to communicate ideas, feelings, and to ask questions in order to solve problems. Learning the names of things.

Components cont’d 3. Listening and Understanding Language / Narrative Skills Understanding and telling stories, describing things that are important is the child’s life. This helps them to understand what they are learning to read. 4. Knowledge and Awareness of Print and Books / Written Language The child is learning that writing has basic rules. Learning the alphabet letters names.

Components cont’d 5. Sounds of Language / Phonological Awareness The ability to hear and manipulate the smaller sounds in words. This includes rhymes, chunking sounds of words, putting two chunks of sounds together to make a word.

What Children Like in Books Birth-2 Board books with photos of babies Books with clear familiar items in the baby’s world Books with texture Books with animals sounds

2 – 3 Years of Age Small books that fill into small hands and has thick pages. Books with simple rhymes. Books with familiar routines such as bathing and bedtime. Lift the flab books. Books that they can learn “by heart” because they have few words.

4 – 5 Years of Age Books that tell stories. Books that make them laugh. Books they can “memorize”. Books about familiar real world: trucks, going to school, dinosaurs. Counting books, alphabet books, vocabulary books.