Literacy Development in Early Years Learning

Answer

1. Literacy Development in Early Years Learning

               Literacy is a crucial aspect in the development of the human intellect from early to later stages of life. Generally, this concept is inherently complex and transformative as it is grounded on the needs and practices of different groups of people. Lowe (2016) applauds the preceding sentiment by asserting that literacy is a constantly arbitrated force that maintains applicability in different social, political, and cultural contexts across time. This argument confirms the conventional belief that one’s perspective of literacy might differ from another person’s, inasmuch as the concept is centered on the evolution of a human being’s intellect. Despite the ideological differences, most academicians agree that literacy revolves around basic actions such as reading, writing, conversing (listening and speaking), and visual comprehension as well as subtle endeavors including critical literacy and critical thinking. For this reason, Australia’s Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF ) defines this concept as an individual’s natural capacity to confidently utilize language in all its forms. In essence, this definition incorporates a broad range of communication models including listening, writing, talking, reading, viewing, dance, music, visual arts, movement, drama, and storytelling . Understanding the meaning and value of literacy is fundamental for early childhood educators since students in this level are just beginning their literacy journey.Practitioners are expected to have a concrete grasp of the theoretical and pragmatic underpinnings of language and literacy learning to boost outcomes for these amateur learners.

   Appropriate Oral Language Experience for Young Learners

               At this point, it is apparent that the most crucial objectives of language, and literacy at large, are comprehension and  communication. Comprehension is a slightly sophisticated term for meaning-making, and its application in this context is inspired by the belief that everyone, including children, is driven by the urge to make sense of worldly occurrences. This goal is attainable through effective listening, visualization, and reading. On the other hand, interpersonal interactions give learners the opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the world through expression (talking, movement, singing, and dancing among others) and application of lessons. For the sake of thisgoal a learner must be nurtured in a convenient manner from a relatively young age. Noteworthy is the fact that oral language instruction is the first stage of this phenomenal journey .

    used in both home and school settings to equip children with the capacity to structure, assess, define, and control their experience in life. This reality compels Scull and Raban (2016) to establish it as the chief mediator of culture and children’s identity in an alien realm of existence.Any proficient early childhood educator must understand and apply the fundamental components of effective oral language instruction  including development of listening and speaking skills, teaching a variety of oral texts, creation of a convenient language learning environment, and vocabulary and conceptual knowledge  . It should be established that these elements should be applied thoroughly and effectively to influence how the students leverage the functions of language, as described by Michael Halliday (1972).According  to the theorist, language is instrumental, regulatory, interactional, personal, heuristic, imaginary, and representationaldepending  on the context. The present section discusses the highlighted elements of oral language instruction, and how they can be applied to enhance the functions of language among early childhood learners. It suffices to argue that efficacy in this context is bound to equip students with sufficient knowledge and skills for later stages in life.

   Development of Listening and Speaking Skills

               The first, and most importantelement is the development of listening and speaking skills. Kalantzis and Cope (2012) believe that learne ’ capacity to grasp pragmatic conversational skills improves their interactions with other people. Inasmuch as some children develop these skills naturally, their guardians and educators play a pivotal role in the knowledge acquisition process.Students at this level ought to understand and apply the unspoken rules of social interactions including, listening, speaking, and non-verbal cues. This phase is critical since most of the expected norms occur unconsciously. For instance, politeness and turn-taking during a conversation cannot be actively implemented unless the learner is conditioned to act accordingly.

     involves accommodation, assimilation and equilibration (Fellows & Oakley, 2014b). In the  first stage, the learner observes his/her teacher’s behavior during conversations, particularly in the school setting, then embraces it as the right norm. Once this absorption stage is complete, the student applies the behavior beyond the classroom setup. The learner then gauges other peoples’ reactions, as well as the teacher’s, to create a balance between the new knowledge and his/her old habits. If the instructor is careful enough to maintain the rules of listening and speaking.

   The photograph below depicts an instructor  applying this concept in an informal interaction with her students: Note that while their faces have been blurred, they are keenly observing and listening to her.

   Meanwhile, the image below shows a visual aid that can be used by instructors to help learners develop these skills. The fact that these skills allow teachers/learners to get along effectively while expressing their individuality demonstrates the interactional and personal functions of language.

   Teaching a Variety of Oral Texts

               There is a plethora of oral language texts  that should be taught to early childhood learners including storytelling, conversations, oral reports, arguments, interviews, group works, and instruction-/procedure-giving. It suffices to add that these types can be either formal or informal depending on the learners’ abilities.At this point, Gesell’s maturational perspective appears applicable . This theory takes physiological progress into account by arguing that until a child has gained sufficient biological maturity, he or she cannot gain literacy, especially through reading and writing (Fellows & Oakley, 2014a). Critics have often found this perspective faulty since most children begin learning at home, with their guardians teaching them how to gain meaning of some aspects of the world around them. With both arguments taken into perspective, the present piece holds the belief that instructors have sufficient analytical abilities to determine whether formal or informal techniques should be applied to advance their learners’ journey. For instance, learners can be told to deliver oral narrative reports of the zoo with the help of visual content. Such students can confidently explain animals that can be found in such a setting. The photograph below shows a graphic piece that can be utilized to enhance the outcomes of this activity:

   It seems fair to add that such an exercise allows learners to leverage the representational and instrumental function of language while increasing their oral language literacy levels . As a representational medium of communication and expression, language allows literate people to use facts to deliver the desired message . In this case, the learners will use visual cues to deliver real information on the types of animals to expect in a zoo. On the other hand, the instrumental function revolves around the capacity to explain issues coherently. Since the young learners are given direction through visual data, they are in a position to express their perspectives as desired .

   Creation of a Convenient Learning Environment

               The duty of an instructor as a nurturer of learners’ knowledge, skills, virtues, and values among other positive attributes cannot be overstated when reflecting on the ideal learning environment. Like most parts of the world, Australia is characterized by multicultural societies. Such a unique reality gives practitioners the golden opportunity to design classroom environments in ways that accommodate, support, and value a broad range of communication styles. In Kalantzis and Cope (2012)view, this goal is one of the most daunting tasks facing educators in the modern world, given the standardization of language in schools. The use of English as the only legitimate school language in Australia offers a major challenge to Aboriginal students across the nation. Unfortunately, this reality cannot be altered considering the English language’s predominant role in national and global affairs. Early childhood educators are urged to nurture students through this complex journey for the sake of their future in a globalized world. The transactional and critical theories are useful for practitioners seeking to promote fairness and collective growth in these multicultural settings.

               The transactional theory and reader response model  holds that learners develop meaning of information by accessing and evaluating prior knowledge and experiences. Such a scenario shows that interpretations are bound to vary across readers. When placed into perspective, learners from distinct cultural and language backgrounds will have different experiences on almost all aspects of the curriculum; therefore, a competent instructor must take this factor into account.On the other hand, the critical literacy theory considers reading and writing as sophisticated processes which ought to be taught using multiple perspectives . Since learners reflect on their backgrounds to infer meaning on novel concepts, the academic journey should allow them to do so with minimum restrictions. Such an argument explains the need for different backgrounds to be taken into account regardless of the standardization of language in school. As demonstrated in the picture below, an ideal classroom should offer learners the chance to operate in multicultural groups. This approach ensures that each student’s cultural and language background is represented in the opinions they share throughout the process.Fellows and Oakley (2014b) comment that multicultural learning settings magnify the heuristic function of language since learners seek and test new knowledge throughout the interaction. The teacher’s role at this point is to ensure that each student is given sufficient opportunity to voice his/her concern or take on all relevant matters.

   Vocabulary and Conceptual Knowledge Expansion

               When reflecting on the preceding point on the ideal multicultural setting for oral language development among early childhood learners, one cannot help but wonder why cultural and language backgrounds matter a lot. Apart from promoting ethnic equality, keen exploration of individual learners’ family cultural practices and community language allows educators to design the curriculum in a manner that delivers richly authentic content to the children.Scull and Raban (2016) believe that multicultural exposure enhances learners’ interaction with others as well as their ability to critically analyze issues and make meaning from their assessments. The differences allow each individual to challenge his/her ego with respect to attitudes towards reality. Once learners are conditioned to explore beyond their limited mindsets, each individual’s intellect expands commendably. The most common form of progress among early childhood learners include vocabulary and conceptual knowledge growth.

    

    

   Conclusion

               As the world continues to globalize at unprecedented rates, younger generations need to be nurtured wisely through the path of literacy. While this concept lacks a conclusive definition, it revolves around various capabilities, including, listening, writing, talking, reading, viewing, dance, music, visual arts, movement, drama, and storytelling . The primary goal of instilling literacy in early childhood learners is to enhance their ability to observe, analyze, understand, and respond to the world around them conveniently. Oral language learning is the most crucial aspect of this journey since communication and expres  are the major pillars of interpersonal interactions. Learners must be taught how to make meaning of oral language, and apply the newly-acquired knowledge in their lives. Such an endeavor mandates educators to apply various strategies and techniques to improve their communication and comprehension skills. In the pursuit of this progressive vision, practitioners are expected to embrace cultural and language differences. They should teach the children how to capitalize on their distinct perspectives to build each other’s knowledge and skills.

    

    

    

    

    

   Citation is incorrect (author, year)

   This is not in your reference list and should be

    

    

    

   Reference?

    

   At this point you should be stating what you will do, where your investigation has taken place (as you are in Darwin). Which school, what age group? Diversities of learners?

    

   Noteworthy where? Your evidence from the investigation?

    

   You have not included set text chapters on oral language:

   Part 1 chapter 3-9. Pp41-200.

    

   Nor have you referred to the site that you investigated?

    

    

    

   Good, but you should be applying this to placements and the school you went and viewed? The transition year of where you previously did placement or Bakewell or Manunda sessions organized for you in this unit?

    

   Whilst you are applying reading content you are not reflectively analyzing on practice? Which is the investigation part of this assignment?

    

   So what did the teacher say about this?

    

    

    

   Why is this in italics? Is this a quote? If so annotate it and put a citation with page number?

    

   Not in your references or with a citation here?

    

   Citation and reference, is this a quote?

    

   Good link with literature but how is this applied in this setting and what does it look like?

    

    

   Do you mean of

    

    

    

   The meaning is a little unclear here

   You have tried to say too much in one sentence

    

    

    

   You have not introduced a setting? What does this mean?

    

   An early childhood educator?

    

   Which class and school? Did you take this photo or is it from the shared resources?

    

   What do you mean here? How does it link to the Australian curriculum?

    

   Where is this from?

    

   This is an opening sentence in this paragraph?

    

   Be clear

    

   This makes little clear sense, has not links to literature or the classroom setting? The setting you observed?

    

   Link to this setting and to the literature?

    

   Reference and how is it taught in this setting, did you in fact view a setting? You are a student in Darwin and had no excuse.

    

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