Early Literacy

Early Literacy  

Aim: 

To create awareness with the students about the environment in which children are learning

Objectives:

To help the students see the world from the children's perspective
To help the students relate to and optimise opportunities for children's learning 
To help students understand early literacy in the everyday world

Quote: 

'literacy includes the capacity to read, understand and critically

appreciate various forms of communication including spoken

language, printed text, broadcast media, and digital media.'

(DES, 2011, p. 8)

Aistear: Six principles of how children learn and develop

1. Holistic learning and development
2. Active learning
3. Play and hands-on experiences
4. Relevant and meaningful experiences
5. Communication and language
6. The learning environment

• Using the world around the child to engage the early learner in the foundations of reading and writing.
• Early drawing and their meanings contribute to the development of early writing. - Marks mean something!
• To a young child writing is just squiggles on a page that mean something to people. Once they become aware they very often imitate adults in making lists or writing a note.
• Children are exposed to visual clues within their environment that alert them to the importance of symbols, and signs, and their meanings. 

Book Resource from Amazon: Creative Studies for the Caring Professions

Class Activity:  

1. Photograph your surroundings through the eyes of a child. Choose examples of literacy in signage etc 
2. Discuss the meaning making process that does the child go through to achieve understanding and communication.
3. Links to websites:  NCCA report