YOUNG CHILDREN’S LITERACY DEVELOPMENT:

LEARNING STORIES

EDE106 Language & Multiliteracies (Birth to 5 years)

By Melanie Oliveira

Literacy

Literacy is speaking, listening, drawing, writing, spelling, reading and viewing (Hill, 2012).

Literacy begins at birth and is a developmental process(McLachlan, 2013).

There are different pathways to literacy (Hill, 2006)

Literacy events are influenced by the social and cultural contexts in which they occur

(Diaz, 2007)

Early childhood educators can extend and scaffold children’s literacy development (Comber & Reid, 2007).

‘Max’s learning story’

Max is an active 2 ½ year old.

His parents speak English at home but his extended family speak Greek and Serbian.

Both his parents work full time.

He attends a childcare centre 2 days per week and his Serbian grandparents care for him 3 days per week.

Max enjoys playing outside in the sandpit, pushing his cars around and listening to his mother sing songs and read stories.

Speaking & listening

‘Max’ is playing outside then approaches his grandma who is sitting on a chair and grabs her by the hand leading her to the swings saying “swing”.

Grandma responds by following Max to the swing and helps him to get in the seat.

“Push bubba” he says to Grandma. She responds by saying “push” and he says “yes push”.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators when they engage in enjoyable interactions using verbal and non verbal language (EYLF, 2009, p.40) .

Sample 1 – 9/12/13

Drawing, writingand spelling

After singing ‘Five little monkey’s sitting on the bed’ at childcare, Max is encouraged to go to the drawing table. When asked “What are you drawing Max?”, he responds by saying “five rittle monkey’s.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators when they sing and chant songs and use art to express ideas and create meaning (EYLF, 2009, p.41-42).

Sample 2 – 11/12/13

Reading/viewing

While at his Grandma’s house ‘Max’ notices advertising catalogues on a table and begins to look through them turning the pages from left to right.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators when they explore a range of texts and gain meaning from these texts (EYLF, 2009, p.41) Sample 3 – 13/12/13

‘Jane’s learning story’

Jane is 5 years and 2 months old.

Her family speaks English at home.

Jane lives with her mother and 7 year old brother.

She attends a kinder based childcare centre 1 day per week and a private school readiness program 1 day per week.

Jane enjoys playing with her dolls, dress ups and listening to her mother read stories.

Speaking and listening

Sample 4 – 18/12/13

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators when they convey and construct messages with purpose and confidence (EYLF, 2009, p.40)

Talking about her best friend at Kindergarten.

Drawing, writing or spelling

At home ‘Jane’ practices her writing and spelling in a proper book like her brother uses at school.

It reads ‘Nicholas’.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators when they develop an understanding that symbols are a powerful means of communication ( EYLF, 2009, p.43)

Sample 5 – 10/12/13

Reading/viewing

At home ‘Jane’ chooses which book she wants her mother to read and pretends to read the story.

Outcome 5: Children are effective communicators when they engage with a range of texts and gain meaning from

these texts (EYLF, 2009, p.39)

Sample 6 – 12/12/13

Conclusion

What is a socio-cultural approach to literacy?

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