Monday, 2 December 2013

4.1

Critiques other plausible perspectives on early literacy and numeracy awareness & immersion.



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