Early Literacy for Children Birth through Three
Some children can write their names by age three, but most learn in kindergarten.
Development proceeds at different rates.
Children learn to pick up books, then learn to hold them for reading.
Development proceeds from general to specific.
Babies 3 - 5 Months
Experience improvements in their vision, memory, and attention span Recognize people and things they have seen before Reach for objects using either hand with improved grasp Begin to link sight and sound together
Two-Year-Olds
24 to 36 Months: Cannot use at least 25 words when they are two years old or use them to make sentences Is not increasing the complexity of sentences due to a limited vocabulary Makes lots of grammatical errors when speaking Cannot carry on conversations with others Is frequently misunderstood when talking
Two-Year-Olds
24 to 36 Months: Have expanded vocabulary immensely Use even more words with better grammar Enjoy playing and talking with other children Like to make up stories and act out storylines Can follow more detailed sets of directions
Three-Year-Olds
36 to 48 Months: Actively listen to stories and read books independently Have favorite books, which they want to read over and over Can follow multi-step directions Increase their ability to name objects Can recognize letters and symbols Participate in conversations with peers and caregivers Speech is mostly understandable
Three-Year-Olds
36 to 48 Months: Is not able to tell a story or engage in pretend play Cannot perform self-help skills, such as dress and undress themselves or using the toilet Scribbles with limited control Does not use the words "you" and "me" in a sentence Is not interacting with others, including family members and peers
The ability to read is dependent on the ability to interpret what has been read.
All areas of development are interrelated.
Babies 3 - 5 Months
Begin to laugh and gurgle Vocalize some consonants, notably m and b May begin to experiment with different combinations of sounds Start to distinguish one sound from another May try to imitate adult speech patterns Begin to link sight and sound together
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge
Begin to understand simple cause and effect, and may delight in pop-up toys as they learn that pushing a button causes something to happen Start to use complex thinking to solve simple problems such as retrieving a toy that has rolled under a chair Understand simple commands, such as "come here" Become more creative and the things they build become more complex Have an increased response to music Prefer books with familiar content
Infants and Toddlers
Birth to 12 months: 0 to 6 months: lack of interest in social interaction, lack of eye contact, lack of response to sounds and voices 8 to 9 months: stop babbling and show little interest in caregivers or the environment 9 to 10 months: do not follow the direction of a pointed finger 11 to 12 months: do not give, show, or point to objects, or play games such as pat-a-cake or peek-a-boo Between 12 and 18 months: Cannot look at pictures and identify common objects Does not respond to familiar people, or make eye contact with them Not participating in social games Show no interest in attempting to solve problems Between 18 and 24 months: Does not point to show things to others Cannot remember what things are used for Is not copying the actions of others Is not learning new words Cannot retain skills they once had
Infants and Toddlers
Birth to 8 Months: Communication is at a basic level, to get needs met—mainly through soft sounds or distress cries Begin to distinguish sounds and recognize their parents' voices 8 to 18 Months: Engage in playful exchanges that are not for the purpose of getting basic needs met Babbling has the rhythm of sentences and many vocalizations may sound like words Use communication for specific purposes Build their vocabulary by saying the same word over and over Increased word comprehension Can follow simple directions 18 to 24 Months: Can speak in recognizable words Constantly increase their vocabulary during the "language explosion" phase Use many different words and know simple grammar Know the words for objects and basic activities Have improved pronunciation
Social and Emotional Development
Can discriminate between people and show affection to those who are familiar Imitate actions they have seen performed by adults Prefer books with unfamiliar content May have strong reactions to certain people Love to play social games, such as peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake, because they are beginning to understand the concept of taking turns Say their first meaningful words and respond to directions
Sing often
Children enjoy music a lot at this age, and they probably know all of the words to short songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb." They can sing "The Alphabet Song" with few mistakes. They may also make up new lyrics to familiar tunes.
Developmental Characteristics of Children Ages 24 to 36 Months
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge Are able to follow simple directions; directions should be one-step at this age (i.e., "Put the blocks on the shelf.") Begin to count; can hold up two or three fingers if you ask their age Can state their first and last name, and know their gender
Developmental Characteristics of Children Ages 18 to 24 Months
Cognitive Development and General Knowledge Have increased memory and attention span Begin to use short sentences Have discovered light switches, dials, wastebaskets, and drawers Identify objects and understand how they work; can fit pegs into holes of the same shape, and can group objects by color or shape Are capable of choosing from several options Have needs and preferences of their own
Children's abilities to read and write constantly improve as they mature.
Development is continuous.
Module 1
Early literacy experiences are everyday activities that develop a child's ability to communicate with others and form the foundation for learning to read and write.
Module 1
Early literacy facilitates a child's later oral and written communication skills, and prepares the child for all future educational experiences.
Infants Birth - 2 Months
Explore their new environment through touch, taste, sight, and sound Respond to sounds and use them, for example, may cry to express discomfort Gain awareness of their body; they can shake their hands and kick their feet
Babies 6 - 8 Months
Gain basic body control through improved motor skills Explore objects and may even experiment with objects in a variety of ways to find out what they do Sit upright, and at 8 months, may begin to crawl Love games such as peek-a-boo
Physical Development
Have a greater ability to move around their environment and explore the world outside of their immediate surroundings Crawl, then stand, then walk Can stack blocks one upon the other to create towers and structures Learn to drink from a cup and brush their hair
Infants Birth - 2 Months
Make soft sounds and distress cries Recognize their parents' voices May imitate vowel sounds May begin to coo and babble in an effort to communicate
Babies 6 - 8 Months
Produce a sound for a familiar toy or to express feelings Babble in ways that have the rhythm of sentences Vocalize in ways that may sound like words
Children's involvement with books should be highly interactive.
T
Literacy develops in stages, and the stages always occur in the same order
The developmental sequence is similar for all.
mod 3 summary
The goal is to help children feel good about themselves and their growing skills in the Language and Communication domain. The supporting, nurturing, and stress-free relationship you have with the children in your care has a huge impact on their emotional development, as well as their intellectual development. Since language development occurs through social activity, many early literacy skills are learned as children interact with other people in a communication-friendly environment. Verbal and nonverbal communication, as well as self-talk and parallel talk, are four types of communication that can fill the word gap and increase vocabulary development. The most important aspect to evaluate in child care environments for very young children is the amount of talk that is actually going on, moment by moment, between children and their caregivers. A child care environment that supports the child's early literacy development is communication-friendly and literacy-rich. A literacy-rich environment provides a steady source of positive emotional support, as well as opportunities to interact with language and communicate using sounds, pictures, books, music, and other materials. Every aspect of a program's emotional, social, and physical environment should be used to promote early literacy and language development. Books for children from birth to 8 months of age should be colorful, easy to hold, and made of materials that can be cleaned and disinfected. Books for children 8 to 18 months of age should be colorful, easy to hold, and made of materials that can be cleaned and disinfected. Children 18 to 24 months of age generally love to handle and "read" books, so let them be in control of which books are read and when. Children 24 to 36 months of age love books about experiences they have had (or will have soon) and that include humor in their text or illustrations. Children 36 to 48 months of age tend to memorize the books they love, a skill that will serve them well as they learn to read and write. Support your program with a wealth of resources found at your local public library by checking out books, going to programs, and attending events such as book sales.
Module 1
The term early literacy refers to skills children have beginning at birth that prepare them to read and write.
mod 1 sum
The term early literacy refers to skills children have beginning at birth that prepare them to read and write. Early literacy facilitates a child's later oral and written communication skills, and prepares the child for all future educational experiences. Early literacy experiences are everyday activities that develop a child's ability to communicate with others and form the foundation for learning to read and write. Child care professionals who invest time in their relationships with individual young children provide communication experiences that facilitate the development of language and other early literacy skills. A lack of interaction negatively impacts children's development in all domains, but most profoundly in those related to communication and emotional development. Responsive communication relies on listening to children so you can involve them in meaningful turn-taking conversations and other activities that facilitate communication. Focus on presenting activities that facilitate development in the Language and Communication, and Social and Emotional Development, domains. Access to books enhances early literacy as long as children feel positive about reading and literacy experiences. Early literacy skills are developed simply when the reader enjoys a positive interaction with books.
Work toward letter recognition
Their artwork at this age will start to show early signs of writing through scribbles and marks on paper. Ask them to read aloud what they have written, and the two-year-old child will be able to tell you. They will start to recognize the first letter of their name, which will be very important to them.
Read aloud daily
Two-year-olds are able to use what they hear in the development of their communication skills. They are able to listen to stories for longer periods of time and they can react to what they hear. Interest in books continues to increase. Typically, by this age, they start to have favorite books and they want them read over and over and over again. Indulge them.
Encourage storytelling.
Two-year-olds have the ability to make up simple stories and should be encouraged to do so. One good way to start a conversation with a two-year-old is to ask them to tell you a story about a picture they have drawn. Encouraging children to use their imaginations in making up stories and songs, and in acting out storylines in dramatic play, provides the experiences that will help them learn reading, writing, and higher-level reasoning skills in later years.
Infants birth to age 3 need to explore themselves and their immediate surroundings while feeling secure.
mod 2
