Teaching Essential Literacy Skills in the Early Years Classroom

A Guide for Students and Teachers

Tara Concannon-Gibney

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781351061179
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

Teaching and learning literacy in the early years can be a joyful, explorative and meaningful experience. This accessible book will give teachers and practitioners the practical and theoretical skills and knowledge they require to successfully and confidently teach reading, writing and oral skills in the early years classroom.

Foregrounding the ways in which literacy instruction can be made enjoyable and meaningful from the very beginning, Teaching Essential Literacy Skills in the Early Years Classroom explores the theory and practice of teaching various aspects of literacy and language, from phonological awareness, phonics and fluency, to vocabulary and comprehension. Chapters draw on the latest research to identify and showcase best practice in writing instruction, illustrate how language and literacy can be developed through play, and outline how a teacher might use the environment to enhance children's learning. Downloadable resources, examples of planning, classroom activities and vignettes can be quickly and easily adapted for use in any early years setting.

A rich and comprehensive source of information, ideas, activities and tips, this will be a key resource for pre- and in-service teachers and practitioners looking to adopt a cohesive, effective and meaningful approach to literacy teaching and learning.

1	Literacy learning in meaningful contexts

GUIDING QUESTION FOR THIS CHAPTER

■ What meaningful contexts can I use for literacy instruction in my classroom?

Introduction

Learning to read and write are key milestones for young children living in a literate society. It is widely recognised that a strong foundation in early literacy is critical for academic success as it allows a child to access the curriculum to their full potential. Literate adults benefit from a higher quality of life, financial security, positive self-image, and an ability to access knowledge and function in the workplace (Bialystok, 2001). It is crucial, then, that children develop a positive attitude towards literacy learning from the earliest stages. Teachers working in the early years classroom need to make literacy learning engaging, enjoyable and – most importantly – meaningful. Effective teaching in the early years should include the explicit teaching of early literacy skills, with frequent and extensive opportunities to apply this knowledge in meaningful contexts (Lewis & Ellis, 2006; UKLA, 2005). Ellis (2005) has also stressed meaning as a key element in learning an additional language. When English language learners (ELLs) encounter new language in context, they can access a range of contextual elements that support understanding (Lantolf & Becket, 2009). In this book, we will explore this notion of ‘meaningful’ literacy teaching in a variety of contexts. The next 10 chapters will explore the range of skills and strategies required by the emergent reader and writer, outlining instructional approaches that will engage and inspire young learners to become joyfully literate. This chapter introduces the meaningful contexts for literacy instruction that will be explored throughout this text.

Meaningful contexts for reading instruction

WHEN MEANING IS MISSING . . .

Tara, a newly qualified teacher (NQT), has been teaching a diverse class of 5- and 6-year-old pupils in a large suburban school for a few years. The curriculum and teaching approaches are quite rigidly controlled by the principal, and teachers in the junior classes are expected to teach long lists of sight words to the children to enable them to read three class readers by the end of the academic year. There are no other reading materials available. A phonics test and a sight word test are due to be administered by the principal at the end of each term, and students are expected to perform well. As a result, Tara spends a great deal of time drilling the children on the sight words and their letter sounds. Tara feels uncomfortable spending so much time drilling the children, sensing their lack of engagement, but as an NQT she lacks the confidence to explore alternative approaches. Then one day, towards the end of the second term, a stack of levelled readers is delivered to her classroom. Excited, she takes one of the easiest texts from the pile and sits with one of her pupils (named Daniel) who has achieved high marks in all reading tests so far this year. ‘Let’s read!’ she says to Daniel. Daniel looks at the book and then says mournfully, ‘What? but I can’t read, teacher.’ Tara stares at him (thinking of the hours spent drilling words and letter sounds, and his high scores on all the tests). ‘Of course you can!’ she says. ‘No, I can’t, teacher,’ he says, and places his head on the desk. That is the day that Tara realises she needs to change the way she teaches literacy, so that the children in her class ‘see’ themselves as readers and writers.

The classroom vignette above outlines the central theme of this book: that literacy skills thrive when they are presented within meaningful contexts, and may wither when meaningful contexts are absent from instruction. Without meaning, children may fail to understand the ‘point’ of literacy instruction and may disengage at an early age. Therefore, children need to be introduced to the ultimate goal of reading – the generation of meaning – from the very beginning. It is important that from the first day at school, the child is encouraged to see books and reading materials as exciting, pleasurable and interesting. The early years classroom should be organised in a way that facilitates interaction between children and books, and develops their curiosity about print. The main contexts for teaching emergent reading skills include the creation of a print-rich classroom environment, regular shared reading of large-format books and poetry charts, the use of language experience charts, and frequent teacher read-alouds using high-quality children’s literature.

A print-rich environment

Creating a print-rich environment involves more than a simple labelling of objects in the classroom. The regular use of job charts, weather charts and posters, for example, in which words, phrases or even sentences change very regularly, will help to focus children’s attention on the written word, and they can be encouraged to respond appropriately. Environmental print borrowed from ‘real life’ can also be explored, as the addition of directories, newspapers, magazines, flyers and cookbooks to a play corner can encourage children to engage in play activities that resemble real reading activities.

An important element of the print-rich environment is the regular display of children’s mark-making and writing, whether on the classroom walls or as items in the classroom library. As such, it can become part of children’s reading material, and provide reading stimulation for the emergent reader and encouragement for the budding writer.

Figure 1.1 The reading corner

An attractive classroom library or reading corner is also essential in inspiring young children to read for pleasure from an early age (see Figure 1.1). The reading corner should be comfortable, with cushions, blankets and beanbags. The addition of a canopy held aloft by shelving can be very inviting. The books should be carefully organised according to theme, author and/or readability level. Children should be encouraged to read to each other and share book recommendations with classmates. While many children will simply ‘read’ the pictures, they should be encouraged to develop their own storylines or to spot words or letters that they know in the text. This practice will enhance their book-handling skills and their interest in learning to read.

Shared reading of large-format books

Don Holdaway (1979) was one of the first to promote shared reading back in the late 1970s. It is a social, enjoyable activity where children can acquire reading-like behaviours and develop essential reading skills (Strickland & Morrow, 2000). These reading skills include the ‘five pillars’ of reading instruction outlined by the National Reading Panel (NRP) – phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension (NRP, 2000) – and also other important aspects of reading development such as developing concepts about print (Snow, Burns & Griffin, 1998). A big book engages children’s attention and imagination: it draws them into the reading process. It is during these shared moments that the teacher can focus children’s attention on the text to help them learn specific concepts, skills and/or strategies. Because they are learning key elements of the reading process (e.g. concepts about print, phonemes) through involvement with a book, they are both engaged at the moment and can also revisit these lessons later when they visit the book on their own. The use of these meaningful contexts encourages children to see the usefulness of learning these skills, as well as engaging them in the lesson. This allows the teacher to move away from isolated skill-and-drill activities while still being confident that his or her students are learning critical early literacy skills. Shared reading is an excellent way to engage learners with texts, particularly learners from diverse backgrounds (Allen, 2002; Koskinen et al., 1999; Meier, 2003), as English language learners (ELLs) learn more when new concepts are context-embedded (Cummins, 2003). Large-format books provide an excellent forum for the development of early literacy skills in shared reading lessons if they are chosen wisely. A high-quality big book should have an interesting storyline that promotes discussion, a large, clear font that is easy for children to see, appealing illustrations and thoughtful vocabulary. Ideally, it should also present possibilities for integration across the curriculum.

WHAT DOES A ‘SHARED READING’ LESSON LOOK LIKE?

■ Children gather on the reading rug.

■ A large-format book is placed on an easel.

■ The teacher reads the text and models fluent reading.

■ Pupils are encouraged to interact with the text.

■ The book is used to teach early literacy skills in context – it is not just a storybook!

■ It happens every day as part of a literacy teaching block.

Shared reading of poetry/rhyme charts

While poems and rhymes are an excellent method of enhancing phonological awareness, they can also be used to teach many of the other early literacy skills explored in this book. Simple poems, rhymes and songs can be written on sturdy chart paper or projected onto an interactive whiteboard (IWB) and used for shared reading lessons. Throughout this book, references will be made to this teaching resource.

Shared reading of digital texts

Shared reading lessons can be conducted using an IWB in the classroom. There are a number of websites that provide free texts that could be used for this purpose. For example, www.storyjumper.com allows the teacher and/or children to create their own stories on an online platform that can be printed out and shared as a library resource. Another useful website is www.starfall.com as it contains a selection of simple texts in a range of genres. Lastly, www.childrensbooksforever.com contains a variety of texts that can be shared in PDF format.

Language Experience Approach (LEA)

The Language Experience Approach (LEA) is an approach to teaching reading whereby children work together to create a communal text based on a shared experience. It allows children to see that written texts are someone’s thoughts written down (the reading/writing connection). The use of this type of text has many advantages, ranging from motivational factors (the children are very interested and engaged as they contributed to the creation of the text) to logistical factors (the text is very accessible as it includes the children’s current oral vocabulary store). It also allows for a seamless integration of the language arts: reading, writing, speaking and listening.

WHAT DOES A LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE LESSON LOOK LIKE?

■ The theme of the language experience text should be based on a shared experience (e.g. a class trip, a visitor to the classroom or a school event). It is advisable to use photographs or images to help young children remember the experience (particularly for ELLs who might need visual aids to support learning new vocabulary).

■ The teacher leads the children in a discussion of the experience to get ideas flowing, to generate vocabulary, to sequence ideas and to eventually form a consensus to be written down.

■ The children dictate while the teacher writes the story. The teacher should ‘think aloud’ while writing, discussing punctuation, spelling and other conventions of print.

■ The chart is read. Generally, the teacher will read the entire chart first. Then he or she will encourage echo reading (teacher demonstrates, children ‘echo’ his or her reading) line by line. Then the teacher leads choral reading (the class reads together). Finally, the teacher may choose small groups (two or three students) or individuals to read sections of the text.

■ A language experience chart is generally used over the course of a few days or a week (depending on chart length/student ability). When children return to the chart on the second and subsequent days, they will be engaged in a series of follow-up activities based on the early literacy skills, such as phonological awareness, sight vocabulary, phonics, fluency or concepts about print, discussed in Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 of this book. While traditionally language experience charts were created on chart paper, digital language experience texts created on an IWB are now very popular. Language experience texts are also often used in a one-on-one situation with English language learners.

There are some disadvantages related to language experience texts. First, parents might have issues with the frequent use of language e...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Dedication
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Abbreviations
• Preface
• 1 Literacy Learning in Meaningful Contexts
• 2 Developing Phonological Awareness
• 3 Phonics
• 4 Other Early Reading Skills
• 5 Listening and Reading Comprehension
• 6 Planning Instruction Using a Meaningful Context
• 7 Guided Reading and Literacy Centres
• 8 Fine Motor Development and Handwriting
• 9 The Writers’ Workshop
• 10 Developing Language and Literacy Through Play
• 11 Bringing It All Together . . .
• Appendices
• References
• Index