In the Lap of Literacy

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In the Lap of Literacy

• Presented by Kaye Price-Hawkins, Priceless
  Literacy-Abilene, TX
• www.pricelessliteracy.homestead.com

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Why is early literacy important?

• According to a survey of kindergarten teachers
  conducted in Fall 2006 by the Oregon Department
  of Education, 19.4 of children in Multnomah
  County entered kindergarten "not ready to
  succeed," in large part because they lack the
  necessary language and pre-reading skills.

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Why Focus on this Age Group?

• Early childhood development is unique physically
  (motor skills), emotionally (regulation and
  attachment), mentally (language skills and
  problem-solving), and socially (appropriate
  behavior with others).
• The human brain achieves approximately 85 of its
  adult size by age 2 ½ years, and 90 of total
  growth by age 3.

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Human Brain at Birth
6 Years Old
14 Years Old
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Statistics

• Maryanne Wolf (2007) in her book Proust and the
  Squid The Story and Science of the Reading Brain
  notes that by kindergarten, a gap of 32 million
  words already separates some children in
  linguistically impoverished homes from their more
  stimulated peers.
• By the 6th grade, they are already 3 grade levels
  behind their average-performing peers.

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Two Most Important Qualities

• Patience
• and
• Wisdom

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Developmental Process

• Early literacy development
• The first three years
• exploring and playing with books
• singing nursery rhymes
• listening to stories
• recognizing words
• scribbling.

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Encourage Parents to Read aloud Tell
stories Listen to child retell
stories Sing songs Play games Give
directions Write words that child says about
drawings
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Increase ways you interact verbally with your
toddler

• Play make-believe -- Talk while you play, and
  encourage your toddler to talk back.
• Silly rhymes, "The bed is on her head.
• Nonsense words, "It's time to skidaddle to your
  mat for a nap."
• Add new verses to songs "...and on his farm he
  had a pickle..."
• Ask silly questions children answer "No"--.

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After reading, allow children to experience
nature and point out what they read and talked
about while at daycare. Take a picture and send
to Mommy and Daddy.
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Story Timepart of a childs literacy development

• Special time part of routine.
• Read favorite books-over and over
• Read what and when the toddler asks you to.

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Story Time, continued

• If you can't stop what you are doing
• Child may draw his or her favorite part of the
  story.

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Look at this!
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Reading Aloud

• Books that allow them to do something and may
  wear out.
• Books with repeated words, rhymes, and phrases.
• Ask questions about the pictures "Who's that?"
  "Where do you think he's going?" "What do cows
  say?"

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Reading Aloud, continued

• Connect to real-life experiences.
• Discuss illustrations Wheres the ? What
  sound does make?
• Have several books illustrated by the same
  artist, such as, Eric Carle.

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Reading Aloud, continued

• POINT OUT AND NAME
• Text features
• Objects within the illustrations
• Clarify incorrect identifications
• Model good reading habitsread with excitement
  and fluency

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Reading On Their Own

• When the toddler looks at books alone
• Help toddlers learn to care for books
• Ask your toddler to help fix damaged books

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Preschoolers learn about reading when looking
at books by themselves and seeing adults reading.

• Children love to imitate adults. A child who sees
  you enjoying a book or magazine will want to do
  the same.
• Show your child how you use books, newspapers,
  and other written materials to find out
  information

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3-year-Old Reads the Newspaper at Starbucks
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Set up a reading shelf, basket, cornerwith
books for independent reading.
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Books to Choose for Reading Time

• Pattern books
• ABC books about many topics
• Repeated phrasing (Brown Bear, Brown Bear)
• Contrast (Meanwhile.. or Thats Good, Thats Bad)
• Rhyming books

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Books to Choose for Reading Time,continued

1. Books about feelings
2. Books about relationships (friends and family)
3. Books about other cultures
4. Character-building books

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Books to Choose for Reading Timecontinued

1. Informational books (Non-fiction)
2. Books about colors, numbers, and words
3. Books about Reading and Writing
4. Fairy tales, Proverbs, and Mother Goose stories

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Military Sharing Tools of Literacy in Middle East
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• Readiness equation 
• Ready families
• Ready communities
• Ready services
• Ready daycares and schools
• Children Ready for a Lifetime of Learning