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Infant & Toddler Group Care

Supporting Language Development

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Learning Objectives:Participants will be able to:

• Identify the language skills and knowledge typically acquired from birth to three years of age.

• Describe ten strategies used to enhance language development in infancy.

• Discuss the importance of including the children’s home language and culture in the classroom.

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Language Foundations

• Receptive Language

• Expressive Language

• Communication Skills & Knowledge

• Interest in Print

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Activity: Jigsaw Reading of Language Foundations• Divide into dyads or 5 small groups.

• Each group will be assigned sections as follows: Group 1: Introduction (pages 43 & 44) Group 2: Receptive Language (pages 44 & 45) Group 3: Expressive Language (page 45) Group 4: Communication Skills & Knowledge (page

45) Group 5: Interest in Print (pages 45 & 46)

• Read the assigned sections.

• After reading the assigned section, discuss with your group the content and identify the key points for sharing.

• Each group will report back on the key points.

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Infant/Toddler Learning and Development Foundations: Language Development

California Infant/Toddler Learning & Development Foundations, California Department of Education, 2009.

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Favorite strategies?• Watch the PITC DVD Early Messages: Facilitating

Language Development and Communication.

• The DVD illustrates 10 strategies to enhance Language Development.

• As you watch the DVD, make notes of one or two strategies that you think are especially important. We will pause after the first five strategies, and again at the end, so you can share your favorite strategy or add other strategies.

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Early Messages

Early Messages: Facilitating Language Development and Communication, 1998.

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Revisiting the Learning Objectives:

Participants will be able to:• Identify the language skills and knowledge typically

acquired from birth to three years of age.

• Describe ten strategies used to enhance language development in infancy.

• Discuss the importance of including the children’s home language and culture in the classroom.