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© 2005
Emergent literacy in a task-based perspective
Lieve Verheyden
Centre for Language and MigrationK.U.Leuven, Belgium
© 2005
Emergent literacy=the development of competences(skills, insights, attitudes)within the domain of written communicationof children at preschool age (3 to 6 years old) (< systematic reading/writing instruction)
© 2005
e.g.: Lukas (4.3 – 4;8)
Lukas writes ‘words’ using letters of his name
Lukas makes a count down to S. Nicolasday
© 2005
e.g.: Lukas (5;0 - 6;0)
Lukas creates a TV/PC usage scheme for the family
Lukas writes a letter to his friend
© 2005
These competences relate toIG 1. the medium ‘book’ (and getting oriented on it)IG 2. the story (and learning to understand it)IG 3. the functions of written communication
(-> realize why people read and write)IG 4. the relationship between oral and written
communication IG 5. one’s fonological/fonemic consciousnessIG 6. letters and the alphabetic principleIG 7. the actual ‘reading’ and ‘writing’
‘Intermediate Goals’ (Expertisecentrum Nederlands, Nijmegen)
© 2005
Emergent literacy in an educational settingWe know• reading and writing fundamentally belongs to
everyday life, even to that of very young children;
• some children, but certainly not all of them, develop a nummber of literacy competences ‘spontaneously’;
(powerful learning environment – conditions!)
• all children – priviliged or not – have to tackle the demanding task of learning to read/write in first class
© 2005
We opt for emergent literacy in a task-based perspective- bottom up: - who are the under six?
- what can grasp their attention?- how do they develop?
- task-based-> to communicate by means of ‘paper/pencil’
- child = language user (not learner)- the message (meaning) prevails - communication is context based
© 2005
<-> widespread synthetic top down approach of preparing children to learn to read/write
- top down (necessities in first class -> training in pre-primary)
- synthetic:- isolated, rather technical skills are trained- communication is disconnected from a communicative context and/or - communication is disconnected from communicative functions
- incompatible with who these young children are
© 2005
Emergent literacy in a task-based perspective
- a powerful learning environment
- motivating, functional tasks
- a supporting teacher
© 2005
Powerful learning environment
1. the teacher as a model of reading/writing2. written messages (verbal/pictographic) all over the
classroom3. paper and pencil (+ variations) always close at hand4. written communication (form/functions) as a topic of
interaction 5. motivating, functional tasks:
an activity in which the child engages in order to attain an objective and which necessitates the use of (in casu) written language
© 2005
Motivating functional tasks within preschool acitivities
We distinguish
1. writing/reading supporting the activity,
2. writing/reading as core business of the activity.
© 2005
1. Writing/reading supports the activity
1.1 Miss Cynthia wants to introduce a song that can be sung along.
Roet , roet, roet (soot)Wrijf – wang – kin – wrijf(rub - cheek - chin - rub)
Roet , roet, roet (soot) Smeer – toe – open – smeer (smear – close– open - smear)
© 2005
1.2 Lars reports on how he experienced different activities.
NAME: LARS
CORNER……….. BOOK CORNER
WRITING TABLE
PHYSICAL PRACTICEDRAMA
GAMES puzzles
dominoWITH THE TEACHER
© 2005
1.3 What do the children learn?
• IG 3 (functions of written communication)e.g. A ‘written’ document helps us to remember something (it bridges time).
• IG 4 (relation between oral and written communication)e.g. The notation (pictograms/written words) represents the meaning of the spoken word.
• IG 1 (book orientation): e.g. One reads (writes) from the left to the right, from top to bottom (at least in our language).
…
© 2005
• IG 6 (alphabetic principle)e.g.There are signs that refer to sounds. The ‘S’ we see, sounds like ‘s’.e.g. One’s name is always written in the same way.
• IG 7 (actual reading/writing)e.g. The song’s text can be remembered by actually ‘reading’ the pictographic representation. e.g. Lars actually ‘reads’ and ‘writes’ when he fills in the chart; a few days later he ‘reads’ the chart.
© 2005
1.4 What do we expect from the teacher?
• To integrate reading and writing in a natural, realistic, functional way.
• To look for age-compatible ways of representing oral messages.
• To help the children at reading the messages or filling in the chart -> the children explore the link between oral and written communication.
• To discuss the advantages and possible limitations of written communication.
© 2005
2. Reading/writing as core business of the activity2.1 Peter helps miss Nele
at tracing her teddy bear
WHERE ISMYTEDDY ?
© 2005
2.3 What do children learn?
• Cf. supra: - IG 3 (functions),
- IG 4 (relation oral/written),
- IG 7 (actual skills).
• With the support and guidance of the teacher : - aspects of phonemic consciousness (IG 5)
What sounds alike? What sounds different? - aspects of the alphabetic principle (IG 6)
What sounds alike is written in the same way.There is a fixed order of sounds/letters in a
word.
© 2005
2.4 What do we expect from the teacher?
• Cf. supra (§1.3)
• To ‘use’ these motivating, functional, context-embedded tasks to make the children focus on some more technical aspects, in a way that is …
- age-compatible,
- dosed,- without losing the essence: communication!
© 2005
Emergent literacy: a task-based perspective!
• Young children communicate: they use ‘written language’ (‘read’ and ‘write’).
• Their focus is on the message of what they are reading/writing; not on the technical aspects of reading/writing.
….
HANNE, I’N SORYKATO FO HANNE
© 2005
• They experience that (written) communication helps them to reach certain goals (sing a song, remember something and talk about it, find a teddy bear).
• They explore the relationship between oral and written communication.
• They explore the ‘rules’ people take into account when ‘reading’/’writing’ (pictographic/verbal representation).
• They practice more technical skills when these are gradually being worked on within a variety of relevant communicative contexts.