Early Emergent Literacy

By: Ashley Harma

Children in this developmental stage of literacy are typically between the ages of 3 and 5.

This is the age of students in preschool and kindergarten.

Rarely, a child may be in this stage at age 2 or are still in the stage after kindergarten.

Who are Early Emergent Readers and Writers?

It is one of the most exciting stages for teachers to see

Research shows that what happens during this stage has a huge impact on how a child’s literacy abilities develop

Why is This Stage Important?

Tools of literacy are readily available◦ Books◦ Paper◦ Pencils, crayons, markers◦ Computers◦ Magnetic letters, alphabet blocks, word cards

Print, print, everywhere!◦ May be in more than one language◦ The students will learn to read and write more

easily because they have exposure to the process

The Components of an Early Emergent Classroom

The Reading CornerA preschool center that prepares children for

kindergarten. They focus making children into lifelong readers and writers.

http://www.thereadingcorner.org/

The Reading Corner continued

Shared Reading Guided Reading/Independent Reading

The child shows pleasure in stories, poems, and informational texts.

The child shows growing facility with the functions (uses) of language.

The child enjoys word play. The child shows increasing knowledge of grammar and other language conventions.

Oral Language Benchmarks

Attends to read-alouds and to television programs and will predict future events during commercials

Can retell stories in sequence or tell what a story or an expository text is “about”

Uses book language when retelling a story or informational text

Likes to make up stories Tells a story or gives information to go with

a picture

Indicators That The Child Shows Pleasure in Stories, Poems, and Informational Texts

Note which students are paying attention during read-alouds or programs. ◦ Do the children offer logical predictions? How do

they come up with the predictions? When a child retells a story do they use the

same language as the book?◦ An example is “Once upon a time…”

Ask children to make up a story.◦ This could be with their artwork. ◦ Notice if there are story elements in their story.

Assessment for Showing Pleasure in Stories…

Engage students in predicting.◦ Share your own predictions to model the process.◦ If prediction is illogical, gently explain why.

Discuss what is included and omitted in story telling, and give students different ways to retell a story.◦ Using everyday language◦ Using book language

When children make up stories and do not include certain story elements, discuss them in read-alouds.

If a child cannot make up a story to go with their picture, ask questions on the big picture and details.

Instructional Strategies for Showing Pleasure in Stories…

Retains oral directions to do more than one thing; usually can tell the directions back.

Makes verbal requests or gives verbal orders that others understand.

Asks questions for information and for permission.

Converses with peers and adults. Reports orally on events in his or her life.

Indicators That The Child Shows Growing Facility With the Functions (uses) of Language

Notice the child’s ability to follow multi-step directions through normal activity.

Observe if the child can ask questions and tell someone to do something in ways that are understood by the listener.

Listen to children speak to one another or with adults.◦ Are they exchanging ideas and having a

conversation?◦ Are they parallel talking? Are they taking turns

talking but not having a conversation?

Assessment for Showing Facility…

If a child does not follow directions, find out the reason why.◦ They might not hear you, so

you must create a signal for them to stop, look, and listen.

◦ If they do not understand the directions, model it for them and explain more.

◦ If they hear and understand but still do not follow directions, explore behavior issues.

◦ Role-play with children and have them give you directions while you pretend not to understand so that they will be more precise.

Role-play conversations with children to avoid parallel talking.

If a child is not understood by others, find out the reason why.◦ If it is articulation, write a list of

sounds he/she is having troubles with. Share your observations with a speech specialist.

◦ If child is an ELL continue to talk with this child to help grow his/her vocabulary.

◦ If the child is shy, be patient, encourage communication but do not push it.

◦ Give children the chance to report things to others.

Instructional Strategies for Showing Facility…

Likes to play word games. Pretends or role-plays using appropriate language.

Repeats and uses (sometimes inappropriately) new words.

Indicators That The Child Enjoys Word Play

When engaging in word play, take notice in which students participate and what their responses are.◦ An example of a game would be “I’m going to

Grandma’s house and I’m taking a…book.” When children are role-playing, see if they

use language appropriate for their character. See which students are using the “big” words

they learned in class. This does not need to be tested, only observed to see if the child’s vocabulary is growing.

Assessment of Enjoying Word Play

Encourage children to play word games by acting silly to help them feel relaxed, and repeating directions to make sure they know how to play.

When children role-play, talk to them about the traits and feelings that the characters have.

Whenever a child uses a specific new word that is that day’s word, ring a bell or somehow acknowledge it.

Make vocabulary a part of group discussion Expand on basic sentences when talking to

children.

Instructional Strategies for Enjoying Word Play

Tells you a sentence doesn’t make sense or sound right if incorrect syntax or incorrect facts are presented.

Is generalizing about such language oddities as irregular plurals and verb forms.

May be able to identify what is or is not a complete sentence, though cannot tell why.

Indicators That The Child Shows Increasing Knowledge of Grammar and Other Language Conventions

Check which students can fix incorrect sentence order.

Which students will tell you if something someone said is wrong?

Do the children use the proper plural terms such as “feet”? Or do they say “foots”.

Do the children use the correct past tense verbs as in “went” instead of “goed”.

Assessment of Showing Increasing Knowledge of Grammar…

The key to teaching children about grammar and language conventions is to model it.◦ When students mess up word order, simply

restate it in the right order. ◦ If you correct their incorrect grammar, it will more

likely cause them to not want to speak to you, than to use it correctly in the future.

Instructional Strategies for Showing Increasing Knowledge…

The child has acquired many concepts about print.

The child is familiar with various genres.

The child begins to construct meaning.

The child enjoys literature and language.

Benchmarks for Reading and Book Knowledge

Has concepts about books and print. Knows that labels name products or tell

something about them. Knows the purpose of some print. Likes playing with movable and/or magnetic

letters. Asks questions about print and about own

writing, scribbling, or drawing.

Indicators That The Child Has Acquired Many Concepts About Print

A lot of the teaching of concepts will be done during everyday activities.

Label objects in the room. Comment on the print around the room and

explain how the prints helps you. Encourage children to play with moveable

letters because they may not have been exposed to it before.

When writing in front of the children, share your thoughts so that they can connect the print to spoken words.

Instructional Strategies for Acquiring Many Concepts About Print

When assessing concepts about books, check for knowledge of the following:◦ Front of book◦ Print carries the message◦ Directionality◦ Voice-to-print match◦ First and last◦ Inverted picture and print◦ Left page before right◦ Word order

When assessing concepts about print, try the following:◦ Point to punctuation marks and

ask what they mean.◦ Point to upper-case letters and

ask the child to find one like it, do the same for lower-case letters.

◦ Point to an upper-case letter and ask the child to find a lower-case letter like it.

◦ Have the child frame a letter with an index finger on each side of it. Two letters One word Two words

◦ Have the child find any letters he/she knows and name it, do the same for words.

Assessment of Acquiring Many Concepts About Print

See which children recognize items in the room by their labels.

Watch and listen to children to see if they are aware of the purpose of print in everyday events.

Observe which children like to play with letters in the classroom.

Do any of the students ask what they wrote when they scribbled?

Assessment Continued

Knows several/many nursery rhymes

Knows several/many traditional stories such as fairy tales

Indicators That The Child is Familiar With Various Genres

Notice which children participate in traditional nursery rhymes. ◦ Some students might know them in another language.◦ Others may know some that are from another culture.

Check which children are familiar with fairy tales and legends, some may know the stories, but only the more modern or cartoon version.

Keep a record of what stories each child knows or is familiar with and in what way.

Assessment of Being Familiar With Various Genres

Nursery rhymes and other poems are very beneficial to children’s language development◦ Sense of rhyme and rhythm◦ Alliteration◦ Onomatopoeia◦ Plays on words◦ Twists and turns of our language

Find the authentic versions of stories that are full of rich vocabulary. Even if the children do not understand every word, they will still benefit from hearing the words.

Instructional Strategies for Being Familiar With Various Genres

Predicts what will happen next or what word or phrase comes next during a read-aloud

Makes up stories to go with pictures Can retell a story he or she has heard Can play games such as “What if…”

Indicators That The Child Begins to Construct Meaning

While reading, stop to ask children what they think will happen next and why. ◦ Ask ELL students to predict in

their own language if they are still in the silent phase.

After reading a story, ask the students what the story was about. If they are on the brink of Emergent Literacy then they can say who the main character was, the problem, how it was solved, some main events, and the ending.

Ask students what they learned after hearing an informational piece.

With a story that the children already know, as “What if…” and see if they can come up with an alternative story.

Assessment of Beginning to Construct Meaning

Make your own predictions for stories and tell the students why you think that will happen.

Discuss how author’s need to make decisions about what happens in the story. Ask them questions about the choices the authors make.

Tie the stories children hear to the stories they make up.

Make up a story and eliminate one element such as the setting and ask them what is missing.

Include retelling stories in everyday storytime. Give children examples of the “What if…” game and

talk about what are reasonable answers.

Instructional Strategies for Beginning to Construct Meaning

Enjoys listening to stories read aloud Wants favorite stories read over and over Looks at books independently Pretends to read Enjoys playing with sound and words

Indicators That The Child Enjoys Literature and Language

Watch each child’s response to read-alouds. Does he/she…◦ Show interest◦ Come willingly◦ Sit attentively◦ Participate in discussion

Does the child ask to hear favorite stories? Does the child pretend to read by retelling

stories and flipping pages? Is the child interested in rhymes,

alliterations, and onomatopoeias?

Assessment of Enjoying Literature and Language

Invite the child to read-alouds but do not make them join.

Show enthusiasm. Help children familiarize themselves with stories so

they can pick their favorites. By listening to their favorite stories they will likely pick up on story structure, character traits, sound of language, and human nature.

Allow the students to simply look at books everyday. Leave books on the shelves after you have read it to them.

Play games with sounds and words to develop phonemic awareness.

Instructional Strategies for Enjoying Literature and Language

Understands some of the purposes of writing

Tries to communicate in writing Connects reading and writing

Benchmarks for Writing and The Use of Writing

Understands that the marks on a paper mean something

Wants to write messages, letters, greeting cards, and shopping lists

Indicators That The Child Knows The Purpose of Writing

Observational Have a conversation with the child that may

tell you if they know that print carries meaning

Does the child write on things when playing?

Does the child attempt to write letters or lists?

Assessment of Knowing The Purpose of Writing

Point to text as you read aloud. ◦ Point to the labels in the room and say them◦ Tell them what the print on signs and pictures say

Include writing in your everyday activities and share it with the children.◦ Tell them the purpose of what you are writing◦ Encourage families to do the same

Instructional Strategies for Knowing The Purpose of Writing

Uses paper and pencil (marker, crayon, chalk, computer) to attempt to write

Arranges movable letters, writes string of letter-like shapes, or hits random strings of letters on a keyboard and then ask, “What did I say?”

Indicators That The Child Tries to Communicate in Writing

Notice which children use writing tools.◦ See if any of them ask, “what did I write?” or

knows that the writing should say something Observe children when they play with

movable letters and see if they want to know what it “says”.

Assessment of Trying to Communicate in Writing

Some children have not had the opportunity to use writing tools, so make sure to give them that opportunity.

Demonstrate how to use the tools one at a time, if a child does not know how to use them.

When a child asks what something they wrote or typed “says” respond with “you tell me.”

Instructional Strategies for Trying to Communicate in Writing

Wants to label own pictures Understands that stories are made up by a

person who thought of the story and then wrote it down, and that he or she can do this also

Can spin out a story to go with attempts at writing and with drawings

Indicators That The Child Connects Reading and Writing

A sign that a child connects reading and writing is if he/she labels, or wants to label, their pictures.

When reading a story do the children ask who wrote it?

Are their any students that see themselves as authors?

Which children can make up a story to go with their attempted writing or drawings?

Assessment of Connecting Reading and Writing

Demonstrate labeling the children’s pictures if they are not yet doing it themselves.

Always tell students the author of the book you are reading aloud. You can even share information about the author.

Write stories that the children make up. Have them record it on tape and then type it for them.

Instructional Strategies for Connecting Reading and Writing

To enhance children’s literacy growth, they need to be in an environment that is rich with print and language. Here is a list of items that should be found in pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms.◦ Books

Big books Picture books Wordless picture books Board books Manipulative books

Language-Rich Environments

Magazines Poetry books ABC books Counting books

◦ CD-Roms◦ DVDS◦ Comfortable seating

arrangements/area◦ Low bookshelves◦ Racks or pockets to

display books◦ Tables and Chairs◦ Chalkboard

◦ Paper◦ Magnetic boards

and letters◦ Computers◦ Pencils, crayons,

markers, and chalk◦ Clay or another

substance for shaping letters

Environments Continued

Learning Centers should include books about that center. ◦ Grocery store◦ Sand and water

tables◦ Reading◦ Writing◦ Pets

Read-aloud area Listening and

viewing area Cubbies A great example of

a prekindergarten classroom is at http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/literacy_areas.html

Physical Arrangement of a Prekindergarten Classroom

The most important thing a teacher can do at this stage of literacy is talk with the children. ◦ This will expand the children’s oral language◦ This can be done informally as the teacher walks

around the classroom and talks to the children about what they are doing.

Teachers need to be enthusiastic about children and literacy

The Teacher’s Role

Read- Alouds◦ Reading to children

may be the most important activity for literacy development

◦ Children who have been read to repeatedly are more likely to learn to read on their own

◦ At this stage, it is good to read aloud several times throughout the day

◦ Choose a variety of books about different cultures, different genres, old and new, award winning authors, and lesser-known authors

◦ Use strategies talked about earlier for an effective read-aloud

A Comprehensive Literacy Day

Dramatic Play◦ Often spontaneous after hearing a story◦ Done in centers, like a store clerk◦ Many teachers keep costumes and props I nthe room

Puppets◦ Can be made out of many items

Music◦ “Row, row, row your boat” can be made into “Zip, zip, zip your

coat” Art

◦ Encourage talk during art Poems, Rhymes, Chants, and Finger Plays

◦ Combine language and movement to enhance both, as in “Itsy, bitsy spider”

Oral Language Activities

Use strategies explained earlier such as talking about the author and making predictions about the book

We saw a lot of this in the movies we watched

Morning Message◦ A written activity at the

beginning of the day◦ An example is, Today is

February 11, 2010. We are going to a preschool classroom today. We are going to do activities with the children.

◦ Can also be dictated by the child

Collaborative Stories and Reports

Shared Reading and Writing

In order for children to learn how to read and write, they must be able to understand that speech is made up of individual sounds that form syllables and words

Phonemic awareness is gradual

Children at this stage do not need direct phonemic instruction

Phonemic Awareness

It is natural if not all children show the behaviors of this stage when they “should”, however, if a child shows very few of the behaviors, you may need to get them help.

If you have students who leave for outside help, you have to continue to help them as much as you can. Stay involved and supportive.

To help second-language learners ◦ Encourage speech and

elaborate on what they’ve said

◦ Teach them the words for necessities (they will pick up on them from other students)

◦ Have audio-tapes of stories

◦ Make sure the child is included in the whole classroom

Diversity in the Classroom

Mr. Gomez’s preschool schedule◦ 8:00-8:20-Arrival;check-in; independent activity◦ 8:20-8:40-Calendar; world and local news; personal

news◦ 8:40-9:00-Child-dictated morning message◦ 9:00-9:15-Independent reading and writing◦ 9:15-9:30-Rug time; story◦ 9:30-10:00-Centers◦ 10:00-10:15-Snack and rest◦ 10:15-11:00- Centers◦ 11:00-11:15- Rug time; informational book◦ 11:15-11:40- Science/math experiment or manipulatives◦ 11:40-12:00-Clean-up; story/song/poem/finger play

An Example of a Daily Schedule for a 4-Hour Preschool Program

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergartenby Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need to know about how to liveand what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain,but there in the sand pile at Sunday school. These are the things I learned:

Share everything.Play fair.Don't hit people.Put things back where you found them.Clean up your own mess.Don't take things that aren't yours.Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.Wash your hands before you eat.Flush.Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work everyday some.Take a nap every afternoon.When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.Be aware of wonder.

All I Really Need To Know…

Here are a few sites that have early emergent literacy activities, ideas, pictures, etc. ◦ http://www.hubbardscupboard.org◦ http://www.bankstreet.edu/literacyguide/early.htm

l◦ http://www.thereadingcorner.org/ ◦ http://www2.ed.gov/Family/RWN/Activ97/begin.ht

ml◦ http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Rhymes.html

Check out these sites!

DAVID, Cooper J., and Nancy D. Kiger. Literacy Assessment Helping Teachers Plan Instruction. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

The Reading Corner, Where Reading Essentials and a Love for Reading Meet. Web. 09 Feb. 2010. <http://www.thereadingcorner.org/>.

Hubbard's Cupboard. Web. 09 Feb. 2010. <http://www.hubbardscupboard.org>.

Norris, Jill. Learning With Nursery Rhymes. New York: Evan-Moor Educational, 1998.

GEISER, TRACI FERGUSON. A Poem in My Pocket Winter (A Poem in My Pocket). Wilmington: Teacher Created Resources, 2005.

Bibliography