Readings – Week 5
Tags: infants, toddlers, mathematical concepts,
patterning, classifying, grouping, seriate (Put objects in order based on
number and size, colour etc. Emergent literacy, Emergent numeracy, scaffolding
knowledge, engagement, educators, 8-12 months, babies, reading.
This week
I wanted to explore what is emergent literacy and emergent numeracy and what
does it look like for children from birth – four years of age.
Beginnings - definitions
First let
me define what is emergent literacy?
Emergent literacy has been defined by Justice & Kaderavek (2002)
cited in Jalongo (2011) as children who are showing reading and writing
knowledge and behaviour, although they are not conventionally literate. Reading continues to emerge as children
acquire oral language by exploring structure, word order and sound
(phonological awareness).
Children
show signs when they are ready to learn emergent literacy by attempting to
produce symbols, signs and letters.
They also become more aware of symbols around them, for example
restaurant of bank logos (Jalongo, 2011).
Emergent
mathematics occurs when children become aware of numbers and quantity. Mathematics is a quite complex
skill. It should be up to the
young child to explore emergent math skills for example, fitting different
blocks into a container then a teacher or parent sitting down with the child
and teaching them formal Mathematics (Geist, 2009).
What?
The first
reading I selected was titled: Infants and Toddlers Exploring Mathematics
by Eugene Geist. I selected this reading because I wanted to explore how
mathematics is used by infants and toddlers within their day-to-day learning
experiences.
The
second reading I chose was titled: Literacy 8-12 months: what are babies
learning? By Laurie Martin. I selected this reading because it
concentrated on literacy for babies from 8-12 months old and I hope over the
next few weeks I will be able to find additional reading concerning toddlers
and young children up to the age of four. Thus being able to capture a
continuum of children’s literacy and numeracy experiences.
So What?
The Geist
(2009). reading explained that a great deal of research is beginning to emerge
in supporting the subject around mathematics with children being introduced to
maths from the day they are born. “Infants and toddlers begin to
notice relationships as they interact with parents and/or primary care givers
through songs, rocking and other verbal and non verbal communication” (Giest
2009).
As babies
grow they build on these foundations by beginning to classify, seriate (put
objects in order based on number and size), compare and order different
objects, by grouping based on colour etc.
The
article then went on to summarize and gave practical examples of how teachers
can interact with infants and toddlers to further their involvement with
mathematics. It then looked at how young children’s behaviour relates to
mathematics, for example young infants and toddlers begin to explore their
world through exact matches, at this young age they don’t have the capacity to
classify blue round blocks from blue square blocks etc.
Razaf and
Gutierrez (2003) define early literacy learning as “a multidimensional and
mutually engaging process between adults and children (P.38)”.
The
second reading by Martin (2006) focused on the importance of shared book
reading sessions between parents/caregivers and the child. Shared book
reading is a time for physical closeness between mother and baby. Early
literacy is about the development of relationships and dispositions.
Repeated shared reading allows babies to begin to develop positive dispositions
towards reading and a sense of self-efficacy. Shared book reading also
contributes to the foundational literacy skills for example receptive language,
and attention to the physical and metaphorical feel of books. Babies are
building on their knowledge through being read too from a young age.
Now what?
The
reading by Geist (2009), gave some simple examples of how mathematics can be
introduced to infants and toddlers by introducing them to wooden blocks they
learn spatial concepts of long, and short. They can also classify them by
grouping all the ‘red’ blocks, green blocks together.
Some
practical points I can take with me from this document includes:
- § Have children fill and empty containers at sand and water play tables, introduces them to the concept of measurement.
- § Have children make patterns out of different shapes an activity that involves cognitive, listening skills, recognizing skills and repeat or copy the pattern exactly. It also introduces them to numbers for example yellow block, red, block, green block, etc.
Some
practical points I can take from the Makin (2006), reading into my future
practice as an early childhood special education teachers is to ensure that:
- § Shared book-reading needs to be a frequent enjoyable activity for both adult and child.
- § It needs to continue to build on the child’s prior knowledge, thus scaffolding their knowledge.
- § All children need to be engaged with the text and educators need to support children’s active participation when reading together.
References
Geist,
E., 2009. Infants and Toddlers Exploring Mathematics. YC Young Children,
64(3), pp. 39-41.
Geist,
E., (2009). Children and Matematics: A natural combination. In children Are Born Mathematicians: Supporting
Mathematical Development, Birth to Age 8 (pp 1-33) Upper Saddle River New
Jersey: Pearson Education Inc.
Jalongo,
M., R., (2011). Fostering Growth
in Emergent Literacy. In Early childhood Language Arts, (5th
ed., pp147-173) Upper Saddle River New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc
Makin,
L., (2006), Literacy 8-12 months: what are babies learning?, Early Years: An
International Research Journal, 26:3, 267-277
Retrieved
30 August 2013 from
Razfar,
A., & Gutierrez, K., (2003) Reconceptualizing early childhood literacy: the
sociocultural influence, in: N. Hall, J. Larson & J. Marsh (Eds) Handbook
of early childhood literacy London, Sage, 34-47
