Emergent Literacy Strategies to Use with Babies and Toddlers ...

The term ?emergent literacy? is defined in different ways by different people. Simply put, rather than using the term?reading readiness, supporters of the emergent philosophy believe that children are always ready to be learning about language and literacy, right from birth. We don?t believe there is any set date or time for a child?s journey into the reading process.

My colleague Dr. Sally Goldberg explains emergent literacy in the following way:

There are four aspects of a language-rich environment that begin best in natural and enjoyable ways ? reading, writing, understanding, and speaking. Singing fits right in there, too, as an enrichment activity. Learning to read and being able to write, however, are tricky and best started as part of an entire ?emergent literacy? process that begins in the early years and continues on throughout life.

These four parts are related to each other in interesting ways.

*You read what someone has written and write for others to read.
*You understand what someone has spoken and you read what others have written.
*You understand and read (receptive) on a higher level than you can speak or write (expressive).
*Understanding provides a foundation for speaking, and reading provides the background for writing.

NOTE: About 14 percent of Americans are known to be illiterate, and statistics from the U.S. Education Department show that about 32 million people in our country cannot read.

Here are just a few fun and simple ways to set up your child?s environment to be Emergent friendly:

Language

Talk to your baby and children often! Encourage communication, questions, and answers. Although babies cannot speak back in complete form they can hear you and they are processing everything you say and do. When our baby awakes we say, ?Good morning sweetie girl! Did you sleep well? You probably did because you were snuggled in with us all warm and cozy.? Then we kiss her on the cheek numerous times. She smiles and nestles into our necks for a hug. We talk with all of our kids, all day long.

Grocery Shopping

When grocery shopping you can talk to your baby or toddler about the signs you see, the colors of the fruits and vegetables, the ingredients on the back of packages and so on. ?Look ? the yellow bananas are on sale today. Shall we buy some? How many do you think we should buy today?? Again, if you have a baby, (s)he might not be able to reply yet, but the brain is working through what you are saying and asking ? at a rapid pace.

Singing

We sing every day. In fact, I put a stereo on our kitchen counter beside numerous CD?s. My older kids can pop a CD in and dance around while singing. The baby loves to join us as we dance and spin and sing to her. You can sing at home, in the car, while on walks and more. Generally speaking, rhyming songs work wonderfully for this age group. They are easier to memorize and understand.

Littering the Environment with Print

Have you heard this term before? It?s relatively new to me, but I love it. In our house we?ve always had books and magazines and coloring tools sprinkled throughout the rooms. My kids have grown up surrounded by reading and writing tools and they see their parents and older brother reading, writing, and using pens/pencils on a daily basis. For babies, you can leave books at eye level that can be picked up and examined. If you put your baby on a mat for floor time, place a few baby-friendly books around. Allow your baby to pick them up at will. For older children, consider placing additional items in a child?s play area (or in the kitchen near you, if that?s safer): coloring things, blank paper, pencils and markers, magazines to cut and glue, etc. I often leave these things sitting on the kitchen table so my older kids can run over and use them when wanted. They write notes to the neighbor kids, draw pictures for me, cut and glue, etc.

Display Art and Letters

In our child area we have an Art Net hanging up. It?s a simple net that spreads across the wall. We use clothes pins to hang the pictures and drawings. I also encourage my kids to hang any letters they write or pictures they draw that contain notes or names. This way, they are continually glancing over at the images, letters, and words, reinforcing the messages.

Watch For Cues

Not all children learn to read and write in the same way or at the same time. Watch for your child?s cues. If your child appears to be drawn to magazines, use those as learning tools. Put more of them out on the table and flip through together, talking about what you see and find. Make a collage if wanted. If your child is interested in helping others, encourage him/her to write letters to shut-ins and work together to draw pictures, write simple words on the paper, and address the envelopes for mailing. If you love going for walks together use that time to discuss road signs and pictures, words that you find at the park or on street signs. Allow your child(ren) to guide you in the process of learning.

There are so many ways in which you can encourage literacy development in your home!

Please note:?Emergent Literacy is not a replacement of formal reading programs. It?s a philosophy that can be used at home (or in early childhood settings) prior to formal programs. And really ? we learn more and more throughout life, don?t we? We don?t stop learning about literacy after early childhood?it carries on, every day, for the rest of our lives.

We know that language is a critical element in reading and writing success so talk with your kids often, welcome their inquiries, answer their questions, encourage them to answer their own questions and utilize your time together to instill a love of learning. We all know the saying, ?The parent is the first teacher? and this is true in every possible aspect. Children learn first, and most, from their own environment.

Shara Lawrence-Weiss?is a mother of four with a background in early childhood, education, freelance, small business ownership and nanny work. She is a Special Education Para. Shara is especially interested in social emotional development, literacy, play, nature, fostering community and cultivating creativity. In addition to writing for her own sites, Shara currently writes for?Wikki Stix,?Southern Sitters and Nannies,?Market Mommy?and more.

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Source: http://www.hedua.com/blog/emergent-literacy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=emergent-literacy

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