1. Creative Language Experiences
Chapter 18

3. Objectives Discuss speaking and listening skills in young children
Define “emerging literacy” and the various skills it involves
Explain how to choose and use children’s books for teaching young children
List some guidelines to follow when reading to young children

4. Objectives Con’t
Discuss the importance of poetry for young children’s language development
Discuss the needs of bilingual/bicultural young children
Discuss the anti-bias curriculum

5. Communication in Process…
On a warm afternoon the store was filled with shoppers browsing the clearance clothes racks. Among them were a grandmother and her daughter, who pushed a toddler along in a stroller. The child wore a large patch over her right eye. Soon she begins to cry “Off, off!” Her mother replies “The doctor said you have to wear the patch. We can’t take it off.” The child continues to cry “off.” The grandmother reiterates her daughter’s reply sternly. The little girl is still crying “off,” and when she receives no response, she tugged on the arm of her coat, saying “Off!” She wanted her coat off, not her patch!

6. Development of Language
We can never underestimate the ability of young children to get their messages across
We should never overestimate our understanding of a young child’s message
Language is a part of a child’s total development
Definite pattern to a child’s use of language

7. Four Skills of Language
Speaking, listening, writing, and reading
Ability in one skill is not always directed related to competence in another
Many children are great speakers, but horrible listeners!
Emphasis in the ECE program is not on teaching reading and writing, but on the skills related to reading and writing that prepare the child for more formal instruction in later years

8. Emerging Literacy
Developmental process involving the time immediately before a child learns to read printed symbols, but also the continuous development of pre-reading skills that begins at birth
Emergent literacy is preferred over the term “reading readiness,” which describes a more narrow range of skills

9. Development of Speech
Speech – form of language in which words or sounds are used to convey meanings
Developmental sequence with which speech is acquired generally follows the basic sequence on page 357, figure 18-1
Development of speech progresses to clear and distinct words that carry specific messages (verbal communication)

10. Development of Rules of Speech
Sequence of language development
Sounds without meaning to single words, to two-word sentences, to more complex structures
Children learn the names of objects first and gradually make finer discriminations
Concepts of time and space are difficult to comprehend

11. Rules of Speech Con’t
Children draw generalizations about how words come together to form sentences
Cooked is correct, but tooked is incorrect
Plural of house is houses, shouldn’t goose be gooses?
Children should be encouraged to talk and not be restrained by criticism or corrections

12. Literacy
Means mastery of language (speaking, listening, writing, and reading)
Begins in infancy and continues throughout life
Build on what the children already know about oral language, reading, and writing
Child’s literacy grows when we encourage them to view themselves as people who can enjoy exploring oral and written language

13. Enhancing Language Development
Mastery of language requires social interaction
May be accomplished through self-initiated play as well as in small-group activities

14. Language Experiences during Self-Initiated Play
More language is used
Interaction is very important to communication
Activities such as playing with blocks, and pounding and rolling clay offer children rich opportunities to speak, listen, and exchange ideas with others

15. Language Experiences in Small-Group Activities
More likely to talk to each other and to the teacher with less anxiety
Sharing time is best when it involves 3-5 children
The sharing is meaningful in smaller groups

16. Understanding Bilingual/Bicultural Young Children’s Lang. Develop.
Teacher’s attitude and knowledge is crucial in making the ECE program accepting and appreciative of diversity
Accept individual differences
Accept attempts to communicate
Additive philosophy
Provide a stimulating, diverse linguistic environment

17. Con’t Incorporate culturally responsive experiences
Use informal observations
Provide an accepting classroom climate

19. The Anti-Bias Curriculum (ABC)
developed by NAEYC’s ABC Task Force and Louise Derman-Sparks
inclusive environment plans the curriculum to address the cultural differences represented by the children in the group and in the society in general
language arts curriculum is a good starting point for ABC

20. Development of Listening
good listening involves receiving and processing incoming information
good listeners are active
physical conditions affecting the listener
deafness, hunger, fatigue, illness, and physical environment

21. Emergent Reading
emergent reading (pretend reading) - children practice reading like behaviors that build their self-confidence
children imitate adults when they are “reading aloud” with an adult reader
children combine several information sources - pictures and print of book, input from adults, own memories, personal experiences, etc

22. Pre-Writing Skills
provide opportunities to practice hand-eye coordination and small muscle skills needed to be able to write
for preschoolers, reading and writing are closely related
writing becomes a part of the language experience when student dictates a story for the teacher to write down

23. Poetry Experiences
exposure to poetry raises children's level of general language development and vocabulary development
playful approach
Finger plays, poems accompanied by body movements
acting out a poem

24. Selecting Appropriate Poems
choose poems that you know the children will like; interests and likes
you should like it, too!
focus on popular topics

25. Children’s Books traditional part of the language arts program
developmentally appropriate
obvious illustrations
look at page for book guidelines

26. Book Center place for children to experience the world of books
be in a “quiet” area
have unique seating, decorations, display area
begin a system, like color coding

27. Reading to Children
choose books that fit the children’s attention span
select a suitable spot
comfortable seating for all
hold the book so all can see it
read with expression and animation
encourage comments and questions

28. Storytelling is NOT reading from a book to children
it is the telling of a story to children with or without props such as a flannel board or puppets
fables
fairy tales
legends
folk tales
poetry

29. Tips for Storytelling find the right story to tell learn it
use simple, natural gestures
polish the story
practice, practice, practice

30. ACTIVITY!! Divide into three even numbered groups.
Each group will get a set of vocabulary words
“I went to get the mail, and when I opened this envelope…”
Each student takes a turn drawing a slip of paper, then adds a sentence to the story that includes the vocabulary word. Continue until all words have been used.