Developing Literacy CentersSlide 2Oral language developmentStages of writingThe literacy center enhances children’s:The literacy center can also assist children to:The effective literacy center contains:An effective reading center is:Well stocked with quality booksCriteria for high quality books:Slide 11Did you know?Critique this reading area.Literacy manipulatives:An effective writing center includes:This aesthetic journal center encourages children to write.An effective listening center includes:Slide 18Teachers facilitate language through:Slide 20In supporting children who are learning English as a second languageAccording to research, children who live in low socio-economic households begin kindergarten:Literacy centers for infants and toddlers:Caregivers of infants and toddlers need to:Literacy can also be enhanced in the playgroundCreating Environments for Learning: Birth to Age Eight© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All rights reserved.Developing Literacy CentersChapter 7Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-2Early literacy skills lay the foundation for current and later success in oral and written language. Did you know?Literacy skills at the end of the preschool years are predictive of later reading and academic success (Farran, Aydogan, Kang, & Lipsey, 2006).Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-3Oral language developmentAround 18 months, children learn their first 50 words (Berger, 2006).After learning approximately 50 words, children go through a naming explosion gaining 50-100 new words per month (Berger, 2006).By 60 months most children understand between 5,000 and 20,000 words and have an average sentence length of six or more words (CDC, 2007).Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-4Stages of writingRandom scribblesControlled scribbles (linear scribbles used to represent print)Letter-like forms (mock letters with letter-like forms)Letter and symbol relationship (begin to write their name and other words within their environment)Invented spelling (write their own words spelling them phonetically for example wuz for was)Standard spelling (conventional spelling)Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-5The literacy center enhances children’s:Oral languageListening skillsPrint awareness (organization of print, print carries meaning)Phonological awareness (sounds of speech)Alphabet principle and phonemic awareness (relationship between letters and sound)Positive attitude toward reading and writingCreating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-6The literacy center can also assist children to:Increase knowledge in all curriculum areasLearn about new worlds, both real and imaginaryCope more effectively with difficultiesImprove social interactionsBe entertained and experience enjoymentCreating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-7The effective literacy center contains:A reading areaA writing areaA listening areaLiteracy manipulativesCreating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-8An effective reading center is:in a quiet, clearly defined, separated area of the roomwell-lit large enough to accommodate five to six childrencomfortable and aestheticenticing (for example, contains book related displays or objects that go with highlighted books)engaging (opportunities for active reading through such things as flannel boards or puppets)well stocked with quality books responsive to the needs and interests of the childrenrepresentative of a variety of culturesCreating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-9Well stocked with quality booksThe literacy center contains 5-8 books for each child in the classroom (Reutzel & Morrow, 2007).There is a display of books with their covers showing.Additional books are categorized in baskets or on shelves.Did you know?Every year more than 4,000 children’s books are published (Sawyer, 2004). Since we can expose children to so few of these books we want to choose the highest quality literature we can locate.Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-10Criteria for high quality books:Interesting and enjoyableDevelopmentally appropriate for the audience (appropriate topic, length, amount of text on each page, print style, and print size. The location of print should help children to understand that reading in English proceeds from left to right and top to bottom)Literary value (credible, consistent, realistic characters; descriptive, “rich” language; interesting, engaging well-developed plot) Quality illustrations and photographs (award winning art work, well integrated with the text, demonstrates attention to detail, mood in artwork complements story, allows the child to “tell” the story from the pictures)Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-11free from stereotypes (authentically portrays diversity, does not promote stereotypical views of gender, culture, or families)appealing to you as an adult (if you enjoy the book you are more likely to demonstrate this joy as you read the book) quality binding and paper that will last through many readingsCreating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-12Did you know?To prevent bias by omission, books need to be representative of the children in the classroom as well as expose children to those not present in the classroom, including those from cultures different than their own and those with disabilities.Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-13Critique this reading area.In addition to the rocking chair, a comfortable futon is available for the children to sit on while reading.Creating Environments for Learning, 1eBullard© 2010 Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved.7-14Literacy manipulatives:may be located in the literacy center or other classroom centers such as the manipulative centerliteracy