EASTERN
Phone: 465-0069
Office Hours: Eastern Hall # 5 Email: Picardt@easternct.edu
Tuesday 12-2
Wednesday 10-12
Friday 12-1
Other times by
appointment only.
Catalog Description:
Examines the processes of
written and oral language development in the early years, taking into
consideration cultural variations. Surveys approaches to
facilitating language and literacy acquisition in the early childhood classroom
with emphasis on children of diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
Purpose of the Course:
The purpose of this course is to provide an
in-depth understanding of oral language development and its relationship to the
written language processes. Language development will be studied from
cognitive, syntactic, semantic, and social points of view. The role of home
environments, including background experience, cultural style, and family life
and values will be explored. Home and school experiences that facilitate
emergent literacy will be examined. The concept of intercultural communication
will be studied with emphasis placed on the importance of culturally relevant
and linguistically diverse materials and media.
Course Objectives: By the end of the course, the students will:
1.
Describe and assess typical and atypical
language acquisition in children from birth to age 5 and apply this information
to curriculum planning.
2.
Analyze children’s oral language in regard to
syntactic, semantic, and phonological rules and pragmatics.
3.
Explain constructivist and sociolinguistic
learning theories of language learning and the relationship of language to
thinking and learning.
4.
Describe the role of teachers, parents, and
families in supporting oral language development among typically and atypically
developing children, including adult-child interactions that facilitate
communicative competence.
5.
Demonstrate knowledge of cultural and gender
differences in verbal and nonverbal communication and how home language
experiences influence these.
6.
Describe second language acquisition
processes and the role of teachers, peers, and classroom environments in
facilitating these.
7.
Describe special speech and language
development needs and intervention strategies to address these.
8.
Demonstrate an understanding of the
connectedness between oral and written language acquisition and all areas of
the curriculum.
9.
Describe the typical development sequence of
children’s knowledge of written language including:
a.
knowledge about the forms of print
b.
knowledge about how to encode language in
written form
c.
knowledge about functions of written language
d.
knowledge about the structure of text
e.
knowledge about the more formal nature of
written text
10.
Describe the characteristics of good quality
children’s literature and how the reading of such literature enhances language
and literacy development from birth to age 5 and select books that relate to
children’s interest and culture.
11.
Observe and assess emergent literacy within
children’s spontaneous play, storytelling, reading, writing, and drawing
experiences.
12.
Describe the functions of language and
literacy in conflict resolution and in adult interventions to teach young
children positive social skills.
13.
Understand biliteracy
and the influences of culture, class, and gender on reading and writing.
14.
Recognize the potential of the computer as a
toll in the home and preschool classroom, and its potential for promoting
two-way bilingualism.
15.
Apply theory and research in literacy
development to implementing the following classroom and home strategies:
Environmental print; “lap reading”; Guided Reading; literacy props and plays;
strategies to enhance phonemic awareness; library centers; writing centers;
integration of language and literacy across the curriculum; home literacy
strategies.
Required Texts: Fisher,
B. (1998). Joyful Learning in
Kindergarten. NH: Heinemann
Neuman,
S. B., Copple, C., & Bredekamp,
S. (1999). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices
for young children.
Owocki,
G. (1999). Literacy Through Play. NH: Heinemann
Suggested Texts:
Clay,
M. (1993). What did I write? Beginning
writing behavior. NH: Heinemann.
Morrow, L.M. (1996). Literacy development in the early years. NJ: Prentice Hall.
Neuman, S.B., & Roskos, K.A. (1998). Best practices
in early literacy.
Schickadanz,
J.A. (1999). Much more than the ABC’s.
Strickland, D.S., & Morrow, L.M. (Eds.) (2000). Beginning reading and
writing.
Course Outline:
1.
What is communication?
2.
An overview of theories of language
acquisition
3.
The relationship between thought and language
4.
Infant communication: The roots of language
5.
Introduction to the components of language:
Semantics, syntax, phonology, and pragmatics
6.
Children with exceptionalities: Speech and
language assessment and intervention
7.
Language and culture: Bilingual and
multilingual and bidialectical development; Diversity
in discourse styles; Stages of social language use in bilingual children.
8.
The relationship of home and school language
and literacy
9.
Ways to support literacy at home
10.
Literacy development; Stages of emergent
literacy; Interrelationships of oral language, reading, and writing
11.
The role of the microcomputer in language and
literacy development
12.
Classroom strategies to enhance language and
literacy
13.
The significance of multimodal communication:
Art, Music, Literature, Dance, and Poetry
Grading: A 3.86-4.00 C+ 2.30
A- 3.70-3.85 C 2.00
B+ 3.30 C- 1.70
B 3.00 D+ 1.30
B- 2.70 D 1.00
If you are a student with a disability and believe you
will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
the Office of Disability Services at (860) 465-5573. To avoid any delay in the
receipt of accommodations, you should contact the office of Disability as soon
as possible. Please understand that I cannot provide accommodations based upon
disability until I have received an accommodation letter from the Office of
Disability Services. Your cooperation is appreciated.
Course Schedule |
Topic |
Assignment |
|
1/21 |
Introduction: What do we
know about language and literacy? |
|
|
1/28 |
Constructivist &
Sociolinguistic perspectives on language and literacy/ Developmentally Appropriate Practices |
DAP Book: “Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children” (IRA/NAEYC Position Statement) Constructivist Article Chp 1 --Fisher |
|
2/4 |
Cambourne’s
natural conditions of language and literacy development |
Cambourne
articles Chp
2-Fisher |
|
2/11* |
Infant language
development |
Pg 48-69 DAP Handout-Machado Chapter one Hand In: topic for case study |
|
2/18 |
Toddler language
development |
Handout –Machado Chp two Owocki--Chp 1 & 2 |
|
2/25* |
Preschool language
development |
Owocki—Chp 3&4 Handout-Machado Chp 3 * Awareness
Activity Due |
|
3/4 |
Literacy and play |
Owocki
Chp 5& 6 Owocki book finished by today |
|
3/11 |
Early Literacy Trends
and Issues: Push Down Effect Montessori |
“Literacy Development and Pre-First
Grade” (NAEYC/IRA Position Statement) Pg 38-48 DAP Fisher Chp 3, 12 & 19 |
|
3/18*` |
Literacy learning in the
preschool/Kindergarten setting: pedagogy |
DAP 70-79 Fisher 4, 5 &6 *Language
Analysis Due |
|
3/25 |
Spring Break |
|
|
4/1 |
Literacy learning in the
preschool/kindergarten setting:
pedagogy cont. |
Fisher chp 7, 8 & 9 DAP 80-95 |
|
4/8 |
Literacy learning in the
preschool/kindergarten setting: Assessment |
Fisher Chp 10, 11 & 13 |
|
4/15 |
Parental Involvement/ At risk
learners/Technology |
Fisher Chps 15-18 |
|
4/22* |
Culturally/linguistically
diverse language/literacy instruction |
Fisher Chp 14/TBA
*Due: Early Literacy Journal Reflections
|
|
4/29* |
Conclusions Share Case Studies |
*Due: Case Studies |
ECE 503 Language
and Literacy
We will come to class session prepared to participate actively and in an informed manner through discussion and response. Inconsistent class attendance and/or participation (including active involvement in class, professional and ethical behaviors such as punctuality, organization, preparedness, and attendance in class as well as completion of readings and other class assignments to engage in thoughtful dialogue with peers) will result in a lower grade for the course. See attached ECE attendance policy.
1. One-Pagers
and One-Pager Responses 10
points
You will write weekly papers on
topics of your own choosing although they must be based on the readings. You
may also include responses referring to classroom work, practicum experiences,
research, questions, concerns, triumphs, failures, or anything else you deem
fit. These will be no less than one page but don’t need to be more. These will
not be polished pieces, but writings that allow you to reflect, respond, and
create consistently. They will not be graded except in that you did them. Each
week you will make 5 or 6 copies: one for yourself, one for me, and one for 3
or 4 of your peers. Responses: Each week you will respond to one
other person’s one-pager, in the form of a paragraph. You will make 2 copies
per week: one for the writer and one for me.
2. Literacy
Journal 20
points
This assignment involves both your
observation of literacy activities/the literacy environment in your classroom
experiences and your evolution as a reader/literate being. Part 1:
Part one is an observation/reflection of teachers and the physical
environment. In your observation journal, keep track of how books are
used in your classroom experiences. How does the teacher/adult perform read alouds with children? Is there a routine? Keep track of the
books read. How does he/she decide which books to read? How does he/she
interact with the children during this time? Are the children involved? Why or
why not? Make sure you observe the physical environment as well. What does the
classroom library look like? Is environmental print in multiple languages? Are multicultural books present and read? Are
writing tools accessible? Are play and literacy centers used? How? What is the
role of the teacher? At the end of the semester you will be asked to look over
these journal entries and identify themes, concerns, issues, questions, etc.
This reflection will be at least 2 pages.
Part
2: Part
two is an observation/reflection of your read aloud practice.
During your classroom experiences you are asked to read to a child or small
group of children each visit or as often as possible. After you read write a
quick entry in your journal about the reading. What did you read? How many
kids? Were they focused? Why or why not? What did you learn? What will you do
differently next time? What were you feeling? Did any child behaviors surprise
you? At the end of the semester you will be asked to revisit your entries and
see how you have evolved in your process of reading aloud to children. What did
you learn? How/what did you change? How did you feel while reading? Were you
nervous? What were you thinking about? Etc. This reflection will be no less
than 2 pages. Hand in the two, minimum 2-page reflections. Due 4/22
3. Analysis
of Children’s Language Development 20
points
For this assignment you will work
with one child between the ages of 3 and 5. You will need a tape recorder. See
attached assignment sheet for an explanation
4. Reading/writing
Awareness Activity 20
points
For this activity you will need to
work with a child between the ages of 4 and 6. See attached assignment sheet
for an explanation. Due 2/25
5. Case
Study: 30
points
You will be asked to identify and research one area, concern, or question in early childhood education that is related to children’s language acquisition and/or literacy development. This assignment is meant to be open-ended. You may: Use this opportunity to explore an area of early language/literacy development that is of interest or unclear to you; address an area of need in your literacy pedagogy; take on the role of teacher as researcher and do some in class research; address issues or trends in early childhood literacy. We will discuss possible topics in class. Some of my thoughts are: The impact of the Connecticut Mastery Test on early literacy pedagogy; multicultural/diversity issues or concerns; how books are used in preschool: as a distraction or way to control children, to pass time, etc?; do literacy play centers promote authentic literacy play? Another option is to follow the attached assignment to implement a literacy play center.
Your study will be a combination of experience/observation (qualitative techniques, such as interview, survey, etc.) and a literature review of the recent research regarding your topic. You must find at least five recent research articles on your topic. These articles must be from reputable reading/early childhood journals or texts. A minimum eight page (maximum 10), typed, and double-spaced paper will be handed in along with any other data, student work, etc. We can also discuss other ways to present your study if you are interested. Research articles need not be handed in, yet a reference list is expected. This reference list and any in text citations must be in APA format. You will present, very briefly, your topic and findings during the last class. Due last class: 4/29