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Getting to the Core: Speaking, “Reading”, and “Writing”

Christian Early Childhood Association

of Kansas City

August 5 & 6, 2015

DR. REBECCA ISBELL

WEBSITE: DRISBELL.COM

Handout for: Getting to the Core

Dr. Rebecca Isbell website: drisbell.com

Introduction: Today you will hear things that will affirm what you already know---and invite you to collect some new ideas --- and try them in your classroom.

Objectives for our session participants:

  1. Determine that oral language is an essential element at the core of learning and literacy.
  2. Understand the interconnections of oral language, reading, and writing.
  3. Collect an effective way to integrate speaking, reading, and writing opportunities into all aspects of their early childhood program.

Story of Rose and Willow: Home environment, isolation, parents using little language, limited experiences, no books or printed materials.

Rose(age 4) / Willow (age 7)
No language: communicated with grunts
Placed in Quality Pre-k
Language Rich Environment / Few gestures and limited words
Multi-age classroom
Language Rich Environment

Language delay impacts everything: motor, social, emotional, and cognition, as well as problems in school. The case of Luria twins (5 years old),with severe language delay, informs us about this impact on the development. When language improvements were made, gains happened in all areas of development.

  1. Ages 2 to 6: Critical period of language development - “Window of Opportunity”
  2. Babbling and Cooing
  3. Gestures and First Words
  4. “Explosion of Vocabulary” - One word use to thousand words. Bloom (1984) estimated that by the age of 18 months, children learn 10 new words a day, especially if they hear and use lots of words in their environment.
  5. Sentence complexity - One word to 4-6 word sentences.
  6. Bi- or tri-lingual learners - How does this impact their learning?
  7. Transmission of culture (respect of language, dialects). Example: Research conference in Boston.
  1. Literacy Development: Integration of speaking, listening, writing, reading, and thinking.
  2. Oral language and listening (Wilkinson, 1970). Social use is essential.
  3. Outward speechmeans to communicate with others.Inward (private speech) is to communicate with ourselves.
  4. Foundation for literacy: Loban’s (1963) classic longitudinal study demonstrated that children who were most fluent in oral language were the best readers and writers in 2nd and 3rdgrade, middle school, and when they graduated from high school.
  5. Language shapes mind to function effectively (Vygotsky, 1981)
  6. Impacts thinking and problem-solving.
  7. Communicating in written form (e.g. Toddler writing): Drawing, writing, variety of tools. Toddlers working on an art project: “I writing”
  8. Print, book interest, and reading “Enjoyment of books” (Pleasure and personal choice) Study of National Endowment of the Arts found that over 19% of 17 year olds have never read for pleasure.
  9. The arts include Music, Art, Movement, and Drama. Books that have songs---- are easy to read. (Author/Illustrator Center) Dramatizing a story. Gardner’s (2011) theory of multiple intelligences---so many learn best by using these tools. Sing song: “In the cabin in the woods” with hand motions.
  1. Language Rich Environment: Essential Elements
  2. Responsive adult who provides language rich model “Hand me the round blue plate that is sitting on the table”. Story of GA with high-pitched baby voice.
  3. Positive impact of personal attention (“Good morning Lucy---we have been waiting for you to help us look inside this kiwi). Lucy is important, cared about, and heard about a new fruit that is fun to say.
  4. Provide “real experiences” with expanded language Building on what they know—Link new with familiar.
  5. Language accompanies activity (e.g. lunch). Tie words to actions. Piaget (2001) first helped us understanding that language must be connected to action, not flash cards, or isolated words.
  6. Stories shared in a variety of form: Read, told, (Research of storytelling) song, participation of children essential. “Story Sense” Applebee (1978) has characters, sequence, beginning ending, and story comprehension. “Story mapping----comprehension.” Story retelling.

Example of stories told:

“The Gigantic Turnip.” Repeated phrase: “ Altogether, Pull, Pull, Pull” or “Magic Fish.” Repeated phrase, “Magic fish, magic fish, magic fish, I have a wish”.

  1. Small group work/projects. Example: Large group 1 chance out of 15; small group 1 out of 4 (Long term projects---Lillian Katz (2014) in building depth of knowledge)
  2. Opportunity to play and use accompanying language. Play with language: Expands language, diversity of vocabulary, and sentence complexity in the blockcenter. WHY? Socio dramatic play encourages use and practice of communication, words, and comprehension.
  1. Building Positive Interest in Reading and Writing.
  2. Print and story filled world (library center) Variety of books including informational books. Book just read in circle time. Morrow's (1982) research: Library Center as the least popular center---how can children be invited into a more interesting book space?
  3. Writing area for drawing/illustrating and creating stories and books.
  4. Variety of tools: magic markers, paint brush, cotton tips, clay boards, magnetic letters, print blocks, tape, and scissors
  5. Different types of paper: butcher, computer, water colors, cellophane, and wrapping paper
  6. Intentional use of “new vocabulary” with repeated exposure over time---and ways to use new vocabulary in classroom activities. Receptive language is significantly larger than expressive language. For example, at age five a child may have as many as 2,000 expressive words but as many as 10,000 receptive languages. It is important to remember that children understand far more language than they can repress.
  7. Use rich vocabulary
  8. Build your own vocabulary (Story of OK)
  9. Talk, talk, and talk some more
  10. Questions/discussions/contributions: Studies show underuses of questioning, following children, listening to what they say, and waiting time.
  11. Conversations “Powerful Interactions” with Dombro, Jablon, Stetson (2011)
  12. A conscious decision to say or to do something with a child.
  13. Be present, connect, and extend their learning
  14. Tennis game example
  15. Mirror Talk: Gives children specific information about what they are doing to extend their learning.
  16. Pause to be present
  17. No quiz or praise (non-judgmental)
  18. Tell the child what you see them doing. “Child’s name,” I see that you are mashing the clay”.
  19. Help children recognize that they are thinkers: This is critical for learning
  20. Get attention and share your thoughts
  21. Encourage their thinking and new way to solve problems
  22. Provide open-ended experiences that allow creative thinking.

a. Blocks and construction.

b. Group projects: art, theme, or books

c. Pose What if?

d. Provide time for thinking and working

Conclusion: Remember Rose and Willow

Willow’s story (age 7 when she came into the program):Her vocabulary expanded some, but because she was at the end of the “Window of Opportunity,” there were limited gains.

When Rose completed Pre-K she had experienced her“Language Explosion.” She was in the critical stage of language development, with reflective teachers, and a rich literacy environment.

You have the power to create that amazing environment where your children will grow, learn, and communicate. Their enriched language experience will impact them today----and for the future!!!

Stay in touch:

Visit my website drisbell.com

Books by Isbell are available at the conference. Stories in this session are from Tell it Again 2. Music is from new CD: Songs Too Good to Miss.