LITERACY DEVELOPMENT

1. LITERACY DEVELOPMENT The Preschool Years Michelle Mortimer

2. According to statistics from the U.S. department of education, justice, and health: Those who are not functionally literate are likely to: • Drop out of high school • Have behavior problems and often end up in prison • Be chronically ill • Live in poverty • Have children who will be illiterate

3. What is literacy?

4. Literacy is… Communicating information through oral and written language: • Reading • Writing • Listening • Speaking

5. reading • Decode written symbols (phonics) • Understand the meaning of the words used (vocabulary) • Understand the story or information being read (comprehension)

6. writing • Have an understanding of phonics • Know enough words (vocabulary) to communicate thoughts effectively • Formulate a thought in a way that someone else can understand

7. Listening • Understand the sounds and words that are being used • Understand what the words mean (vocabulary) • Understand the meaning of what is being said

8. Speaking (oral language) • Understand the sounds you need to put together to say words • Understand what words you need to use to convey your message (vocabulary) • Be able to formulate a complete thought that someone else will be able to understand

9. A literate person must be able to use all four: • Reading • Writing • Listening • Speaking

10. Whole language approach • Language submersion • Emergent literacy • Non-conventional reading/writing

11. Whole language approach • Meaningful • Relevant • Functional

12. Current research shows that the whole language approach paired with explicit phonics teaching appears to be the most successful method for teaching literacy.

13. Reading readiness How do we prepare the children now to become successful readers later?

14. The national early literacy panel Studied existing scientifically based research to identify the skills and abilities of young children from birth through age 5 that predict later achievement in reading. • Alphabet knowledge (AK): knowledge of the names and sounds associated with printed letters. • Phonological awareness (PA): the ability to detect, manipulate, or analyze the auditory aspects of spoken language (including the ability to distinguish or segment words, syllables, or phonemes) • Rapid automatic naming of letters and digits (RAN): the ability to rapidly name a sequence of random letters or digits. • RAN of objects or colors: the ability to rapidly name a sequence of repeating random sets of pictures or objects (car, tree, house) or colors. • Writing (including one’s name): the ability to write letters in isolation on request or to write one’s own name. • Phonological memory: the ability to remember spoken information for a short period of time. • Concepts about print: knowledge of print conventions (left-right, front-back) and concepts (book cover, author, text) • Print knowledge: a combination of AK, concepts of print, vocabulary, memory, and PA. • Oral language: the ability to produce or comprehend spoken language, including vocabulary and grammar • Visual processing: the ability to match or discriminate visually presented symbols.

15. POP QUIZ:WHICH SKILL IS EASIEST FOR CHILDREN TO LEARN? Dividing words into syllables Identifying letters and their sounds Rhyming Identifying the individual sounds of a word, or putting sounds together to make a word

16. Answer: • C. Rhyming • A. Dividing words into syllables • D. Identifying the individual sounds of a word, or putting sounds together to make a word • B. Identifying letters and their sounds • WHY? Because auditory discrimination typically develops BEFORE visual discrimination.

17. Literacy development • Phonological Awareness: the ability to identify and manipulate larger parts of spoken language, such as whole words, syllables, and word chunks • Phonemic Awareness: understanding that words are made up of individual sounds and the ability to segment, blend, and substitute sounds in words • Phonics: knowing that words are composed of letters, and that there is a relationship between written letters and spoken sounds (sound-symbol connection) • NOTE: Phonological and phonemic awareness are considered precursors to phonics

18. Literacy development • “Phonological and phonemic awareness instruction in preschool, kindergarten, and first grade strengthens reading achievement.” Lesley Mandel Morrow, 2011

19. Learning the alphabet • It is easier for children to learn words than individual letters. Add a few sight words and word wall words each week. • Uppercase letters are easier for children to distinguish, so they should be taught first. (Coincides with Handwriting Without Tears) • Letter of the Day is much more effective than Letter of the Week. (Reutzel & Cooter, 2009) • Present similar letters in sequential order to build on previous knowledge • Letters are learned at a deeper and more lasting level when children learn to write them concurrently with learning letter names. • HWT – multiple mediums (backs) • Video: Phonics Song • Little Frog Game

20. Sight words • Dolchliststhe 220 most common words in early reading material. • Many of these words cannot be sounded out using the alphabetic principle. • Children must be able to identify these words quickly to become fluent readers. • Instruction should begin in preschool, as children are ready.

21. The top 14 • These words make up 25% of the words children find in early literacy texts. • These should be the first sight words taught to children. • A, and, for, he, she, in, is, it, of, that, the, to, was, you

22. How do we support literacy development in our classrooms?

23. Literacy-rich Environment What does this mean? How do we currently accomplish this? Is there anything else we could do?

24. Environmental print • Video: Chris Brown • Functional print: bathroom male/female signs, stop sign • Familiar name brands: McDonald’s, Wal-Mart, Target, Cheerios

25. Word wall • Ideally by writing area • Sight words – Dolch, 60-70% of early reading • Vocabulary words (theme-related) • Use two different colors • Very Own Word boxes for advanced students

26. Morning message • Day/Date • Information • Plans • Modeling • Use vocabulary and sight words when possible • Advanced children can help

27. Games and music • Rhyming • Chunking • Onset • Rime • Syllables

28. Rhyming chants • Oh my, I want a piece of pie. • Pie’s too sweet. I want a piece of meat. • Meat’s too red. I want a piece of bread. • Bread’s too brown. I’ll have to go to town. • Town’s too far. I’ll have to take the car. • Car’s too slow. I almost stubbed my toe. • Oh, what pain. I must take the train. • Train got in a wreck. I almost broke my neck. • Oh my, no more pie.

29. Story Time • Wordless books (expressive language) • Big books (model concepts of print) • Read books to children before placing in the library • Echo reading (how reading sounds) • Buddy reading • Props (Hungry Caterpillar) • Comprehension – retell, sequence, theatre • Variety of print: Poems, Non-fiction, Magazines, etc. • Interactive writing • Create own books (I See Shapes)

30. Writing time • All the time! Writing has purpose. • Inventive spelling • Dictation • Dry erase boards in circle time as letters are introduced • Scavenger Hunt • Lists/Notes • Add words that children ask how to spell on the Word Wall so they will have for future reference.

31. motivation • Choice • Challenge • Relevance (why) • Authenticity (beyond the classroom, e.g. baking cookies) • Social collaboration • Success • Builds on previous knowledge • Personal connection • Goals

32. Integrated language instruction

33. Integrated language instruction • Literacy cannot be taught once a day. • It must run throughout the entire curriculum and everything we do. • Teachers are models for literacy. • Themes are helpful for organizing lesson plans to include literacy. • Webbing is one way to plan a theme.

34. How do we weave literacy throughout our learning centers? ~ACTIVITY~

35. Family literacy • Literacy materials in the home (Family Book Club, Reach Out and Read) • Interactions during shared literacy experiences • Positive and supportive attitudes towards literacy • Modeling the many uses of literacy (notes, grocery lists, recipes, chore charts, etc.) • Utilize the local library and get library cards for each family member