Lesson 3: Putting it into Practice - The development of Language & Literacy


Attention

puzzle divided into puzzle pieces including active listening steady beat awaremeness oral language vocabulary print awareness phonological awareness compreshension auditory discrimination

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this lesson's material, students will be able

  • Explain the stages of language and literacy development (using the Maine Infant and Toddler Guidelines and the Maine Early Childhood Learning Guidelines) and individual children’s patterns of development.

  • Provide examples of appropriate environmental set up to promote language and literacy development.

  • Explain how language and literacy is part of a holistic approach to child development and create activity ideas to support language and literacy development through literature and other developmental domains


Teaching

The Maine State guidelines were written with solid information based from years of scientific research. Although there are always new studies that will shift the guidelines for future use, common themes always remain the same.

Guidelines & Patterns of Development
We have already discussed the importance of language and literacy development and how play and social relationships form the foundation for early learning. In this lesson, you will dive deeper into the understanding how the communication guidelines are written as patterns of development. They are guidelines and are meant to provide guidance for developmentally appropriate practice. Our work with children is meant to be reflective and informed by child interests and goals. Not every child will fall within the guide and it is most important to understand how this will impact your view of the guidelines as flexible and a work in progress.

Environmental Considerations & Holistic Practice
You will also learn more about the importance of environmental considerations and how to begin planning for children based upon the belief that development is a holistic process. An easy way to incorporate language and literacy in the classroom is by labeling everything in the environment and assure books are accessible in all areas including math, science, sensory, dramatic play and even the bathroom. You may have to sanitize the books every day but the long- lasting outcome is worth it.

It is also important to be intentional when placing books around the environment. For example, it doesn’t make sense place a fourth grade book about dinosaur fossils in the drop-off area if fourth graders won’t be passing through that area. When selecting books and choosing where to place them, think to yourself: What is the purpose of this book in this particular area of the environment and how does this relate to the children? What else could I place in that area that will help to make a connection with the child and their real-life experiences?

A child’s physical, social, emotional, and cognitive development is far from separate and language and literacy should be able to be an objective in ALL activity planning.

Example
I have always enjoyed messy sensory activities for children. Children are naturally curious about how paint can be slippery and spread on paper by their fingers, a paintbrush or even by the tires on a small plastic car. Then they spread the paint on their bodies and experience how it is cold or hot and changes the color of their clothes or skin. Then they might move on to tasting it (if that isn’t the first thing they do). It is always funny to watch their reactions as they make a face in disgust but continue to try it again a few more times.

I always plan the activity as a “sensory” activity but of course it is more. The activity also engages their fine motor skills as they move their tiny fingers to paint or grip a utensil. It engages their gross motor skills as they move their arms around – or maybe even their legs if you let them paint with their feet! It can also be a cause and effect or hand-eye coordination activity as they figure out how they are in charge of moving the paint and where they want it. The possibilities are endless!

Most importantly though – the activity is a language and literacy opportunity! Maybe the babies aren’t saying anything but YOU should be. You should talk them through their interaction and narrating their every move. “I see you touched the paint. Now you are putting your finger on the paper. That feels slippery. Your face tells me that paint was yucky!” You could also be repeating what they say. “I heard you say yellow!” A way to build literacy is by modeling how to make intentional marks on the paper and describe what you are doing. “I am making a line” or, “I am going to make the letter J for Jessica” then as they try to make symbols or a picture or letters, you describe what they are doing.

For this quiz you will need to choose and age group and thoroughly read and understand all language and literacy domains in the appropriate guidelines.


Assessment

Lesson 3 Quiz

Choose an age group in which you are working with or wish to be working with (0-3 or 3-5). Familiarize yourself with the domains indicators and domains related to language, literacy and answer the following:

  1. Explain the literacy and language development for the age group of your choice and provide examples how children’s individual differences may not fall within the pattern set by the guidelines.

  2. Explain how you will set up your environment to promote language and literacy in all areas of your environment (other than labeling items around the classroom and putting books all over the place)

  3. Provide three activity ideas in other developmental domains that will incorporate language and literacy as an additional learning objective using this lesson plan template. Each language or literacy idea must be different than the other. For example, you cannot simply add a book or song to each activity.