Training Guides for the Head Start Learning Community:
Emerging Literacy: Linking Social Competence to Learning
Module 1

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Emerging Literacy: Supporting a Natural Process


In this module, participants learn to observe and support children's emerging literacy, collaborate with families to support children's language learning in different settings, and examine their own literacy skills.

Outcomes

As a result of completing this module, staff will be able to:

Key Concepts

Background Information

Emerging literacy is the gradual, ongoing development of language skills that takes place from birth through the early elementary years. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing are interconnected pieces of emerging literacy. Children first learn to listen and speak. They make sense of the language they hear and learn to express their own ideas and feelings. Then they use these and other skills to explore reading and writing. Each of these language skills contributes to the development and use of the others.

Listening and Speaking

Emerging literacy begins in infancy when parents and teachers respond to babies' coos and smiles, sing lullabies, and play games such as peek-a-boo. These natural interactions help children learn about the give and take of conversation and the pleasures of communicating with other people. Young children continue to develop listening and speaking skills as they communicate their needs and wants through sounds and gestures, say their first words, and rapidly add new words to their vocabularies. Soon, children are participating in conversations, using their words to solve problems, and telling long, complicated stories about real and imaginary events.

Reading and Writing

At the same time as they are gaining listening and speaking skills, young children are exploring reading and writing. A child may play with alphabet blocks, point out a logo at a familiar restaurant, listen to favorite books and retell the stories on her own, use drawing and writing tools, and watch an adult write her spoken words on paper. By the time children leave the preschool years, most have made numerous discoveries about reading and writing. For example, they know that we combine letters to make words; read the words in books, not the pictures; and, in English and many other languages, read and write from left to right and from top to bottom on each page. Most children have discovered the connection between spoken and written words--printed words are talk that has been written down.

Children's Home Languages

Children's language learning is rooted in their home and family environment. Starting in infancy, children associate the words, tones, and expressions of their home language with feelings of security. Although children may one day learn a second language, their home language will always allow them to feel connected to their families and cultures. As children acquire and use their home language they also learn many skills and concepts.

When Head Start staff and families collaborate to support language learning, children can retain skills in their home language while learning a second language. This support also allows children to continue developing cognitively, without unnecessary interruptions. The ability to communicate in more than one language is an asset children can use throughout their lives. (See Appendix A: Responding to Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Children and Families for more information about supporting children who are learning one language at home and English at Head Start.)

The Head Start Program Performance Standards state that staff and program consultants should be able to effectively communicate with children and families with no or limited English proficiency. When education staff do not speak a child's home language, they can address this standard by learning key words and phrases in the home language so they can support the child's language development. Similarly, when a child who is deaf and uses sign language is enrolled in Head Start, staff should learn a few basic signs so they can communicate with the child.

Progress in Language Development

Every child develops according to an inner time clock that is set at his or her individualized pace for gaining new skills. Any group of young children is likely to include a wide range of language abilities. Home, community, and Head Start environments--including people, materials, and experiences--play a role in determining how and when a child develops language skills.

It can be difficult to determine accurately whether a young child is making progress in his or her language learning or is experiencing a language delay. Some children may say very little or speak in a way that is hard for others to understand. Sometimes language difficulties disappear as a child has opportunities to listen to and speak with adults and peers or becomes more comfortable in the Head Start setting. (See Appendix B: Strategies for Supporting Children with Speech or Language Delays or Disorders for more information on this topic.)

The Link to Cognitive Development

Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills are primary avenues for cognitive development. Language allows children to talk about their experiences and discoveries and modify their understanding of the world. Children can use their language skills to organize their thinking. They learn the words used to describe concepts and talk about past and future events. For example, by talking about yesterday and tomorrow, children learn to tell the difference between past and future events. To gain information, children ask questions and identify printed words such as their names on cubbies and the daily job chart. They express ideas and tell stories, make signs to protect their block structures, and write their names on paintings. After listening to a story, children can talk about the people, feelings, places, things, and events in the book and discuss how they are alike and different from their own experiences.

Language and Social Competence

Language skills are essential elements of social competence. Children use their listening and speaking skills to play and get along with others and to make friends. In the preschool years, children use language to make up dramatic play scenarios and become real or imaginary characters. They use language to negotiate, take turns, and express anger with words rather than physical aggression. Through conversations with adults and other children, preschoolers learn to listen to others and share their own ideas and feelings.

While learning how to use oral language to express themselves, young children also learn about the nonverbal communications typical of their families and cultures. They pay attention to other people's facial expressions, gestures, and body language and interpret what they mean. Children use both verbal and nonverbal communication to send messages to others.

How Children Learn about Language

One of the ways young children learn about language is by watching, listening to, and responding to adults--at home, at Head Start, and in the community. When adults interact with children and model language skills, they show children how to use language. Young children also learn about language in the same way they make sense of other experiences--through active learning. As children imitate, explore, experiment, and try out their ideas, they acquire knowledge about language. This happens over time, as children live and play in homes, classrooms, and communities filled with language--songs, rhymes, talk, books, and print. They learn new words, master standard rules of grammar, and recognize letters of the alphabet. They also learn how language is used to communicate ideas and feelings, send messages, ask for information, and make requests.

Conventional Reading and Writing

By the time most children enter the elementary school years, they know a lot about language. As with other kinds of development, each child has acquired a unique set of emerging literacy skills that are the result of language explorations at home and in other settings. When children have gained sufficient knowledge about reading and writing, they begin to read and write in conventional ways, following the established rules of their language. Just as they learned to listen and speak without direct instruction, many children begin conventional reading and writing by using what they already know to make new discoveries, solve problems, and ask questions--How do you make a B? What does this say?

All Children Can Develop Literacy Skills1

All children, including children with disabilities, can learn to communicate and develop literacy-related skills. Head Start staff and families can individualize the strategies they use to encourage emerging literacy so that all children have opportunities to be actively involved in literacy learning. Staff and families can consult with speech, occupational, and/or physical therapists to learn how to adapt home and classroom environments, drawing and writing materials, books, and their own interactions. Such adaptations make it possible for all children to have daily opportunities to write, scribble, draw, color, enjoy books, and communicate with others. Some examples follow:

In addition to learning to use language to achieve goals and make sense of their world, many children also gain a love for words. They enjoy talking and playing with friends and family, making up songs, looking at books, and telling stories. For these children, listening, speaking, reading, and writing are valuable skills that help them become lifelong learners who contribute to their families and communities. By continually improving their own language and literacy skills, Head Start staff and families can be lifelong learners, too.

Like the general population in the United States, Head Start families represent a wide range of literacy skills. Some parents are avid readers, others read seldom, and still others do not read at all because they do not know how. To avoid embarrassing parents, Head Start staff should never assume that everyone can read and write. They should have accurate knowledge of an individual's literacy skills before asking him or her to do something that requires reading or writing.


Activity 1-1:
The Purpose of Language		 Workshop icon Purpose: In this activity, participants examine their own use of language skills and learn about children's language learning at different stages of development.

Outcomes:

Participants support the ongoing, natural process of emerging literacy for all children, including those who are learning a second language and those with disabilities.

Participants analyze their own use of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills so they can serve as models for children.

Materials:

  1. Explain to participants that this activity will focus on emerging literacy and the reasons why adults and children use language. If you plan to use other modules in the guide, explain that Modules 2, 3, and 4 each focus on specific language skills and how they are related to each other.

  2. Use the Background Information for this module to present an overview of emerging literacy. Emphasize that listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills are interconnected and gained over time. Young children develop and practice these skills simultaneously. Each language skill supports and enhances the development of the others.

  3. Ask participants to think of the ways they use language--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--during a typical day. Walk them through the day, from waking up to going to sleep. Stop frequently to discuss what skills they used and why they used them. Record participants' answers on chart paper in two columns: one labeled Skill and one labeled Why? Some examples follow:

    When you woke up this morning, did you use a language skill?
    (Skill: Listening and speaking. Why?: Heard the weather report on the radio and told my children they could wear shorts.)

    What language skills did you use while preparing breakfast?
    (Skill: Reading. Why?: Learned how long to toast the waffles.)

    What language skills did you use during your break at work?
    (Skill: Writing. Why?: Wrote a birthday card for a friend.)

    What language skills did you use during outdoor play time?
    (Skills: Listening and speaking. Why? Talked with children about their activities.)

  4. Write the following reasons why we use language skills on chart paper. Include additional reasons if you like. Leave space to write under each reason.

    • To make a request
    • To complain about something
    • To say hello or goodbye
    • To respond to a communication
    • To get information
    • To think, plan, and solve problems
    • To share feelings, ideas, and interests

    Lead the participants through a review of the answers recorded on chart paper in step 3. Place each Why? response under the appropriate reason. For example:

    To get information
    Heard the weather report on the radio Learned how long to toast the waffles

    To share feelings, ideas, and interests
    Wrote a birthday card for a friend Talked with children about their activities

    Discuss how adults use the four language skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--to achieve goals. Ask participants to think of ways their use of language is affected by family and cultural practices and values. For example, some families encourage lively dinnertime conversations; others have quiet mealtime rituals. Encourage participants to continue improving their language skills so they can serve as effective models for young children. Share the ideas for building skills that are presented in the Next Steps section of this module.

  5. Distribute and review the instructions for Handout 1: How and Why Children Use Language Skills. Ask participants to form small groups. Give participants 15 minutes to complete the assignment.

  6. Lead a large group discussion about how and why children of different ages use language skills. Invite groups to share examples from their completed handouts. Cover the following key points:

    • Most newborn infants (birth to about 3 months) and young babies (from about 4 to 8 months) do not communicate intentionally. However, most adults interpret and respond to the babies' gestures and vocalizations as if the babies know they are communicating through their behaviors.

    • Older infants (from about 8 months) communicate with a goal in mind. They know they can make noises and use gestures such as pointing to get attention, show an adult something, or ask for something.

    • Toddlers and preschoolers use language skills for many reasons. They work hard to find out what words mean and how to use them. Their language skills support their cognitive and social development.

  7. Building Bridges with Families: Distribute copies of Appendix C: Emerging Literacy: From Cooing to Conventional Reading and Writing. Suggest that participants discuss the strategies in the column titled Adults Can with children's parents. Together, staff and families can plan ways to support children's language development--in the home language and in English, as appropriate.


Activity 1-2:
Emerging Literacy: Step by Step by Step		 Coaching icon Purpose: In this activity, participants examine their own language skills, learn about the typical sequence of emerging literacy from infancy through the preschool years, and observe the literacy skills of a specific child.

Outcomes:

Participants support the ongoing, natural process of emerging literacy for all children, including those who are learning a second language and those with disabilities.

Participants analyze their own use of listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills so they can serve as models for children.

Materials:

  1. Explain to participants that this activity focuses on emerging literacy, explores the ways adults use language skills, and reviews the language skills young children develop. If you plan to use other modules in the guide, explain that Modules 2, 3, and 4 each focus on specific language skills and how they are related to each other.

  2. Use the Background Information for this module to present an overview of emerging literacy. Emphasize the following:

    • Listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills are interconnected and gained over time.

    • Young children develop and practice these skills simultaneously.

    • Each language skill supports and enhances the development of the others.

  3. Ask participants to brainstorm a list of the ways they use listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills to complete a typical task. For example, to shop for groceries, they might use language skills such as:

    • Reading newspaper ads
    • Writing a list
    • Reading coupons to find ones that match items on the list
    • Asking for an item at the store and listening to the response
    • Greeting a friend and holding a conversation

  4. Use participants' lists to discuss how language skills are interconnected and how we all use language to accomplish different tasks at home, at work, and in the community. Ask participants to think of ways their use of language is affected by family and cultural practices and values. For example, in some families and cultures children learn to share their ideas and opinions without being asked, while in others children learn to listen quietly and wait until they are invited to join a conversation. Encourage participants to plan ways to enhance their own listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills so they can serve as effective models for young children. Share the ideas for building skills that are presented in the Next Steps section of this module.

  5. Distribute and review the instructions for Handout 2: Emerging Literacy--An Ongoing Process. Ask participants to complete the entire handout so they can learn about the typical sequence of development from infancy through the preschool years. Ask participants to complete this task before the next coaching session.

  6. Discuss participants' completed handouts. Point out how each language skill--listening, speaking, reading, and writing--supports the development of the others. Use the examples on participants' completed handouts to demonstrate the links between language and cognitive development and language and social competence.

  7. Distribute and review the instructions for Handout 3: Observation Summary. Provide copies of Appendix C: Emerging Literacy: From Cooing to Conventional Reading and Writing so participants can use it as a resource. Ask participants to conduct several observations of a child during the next week. Suggest using this as an opportunity to involve a parent in observing his or her child. Ask participants to complete this assignment before you meet again.

  8. Meet with participants to discuss their completed Handout 3: Observation Summary. Note what they learned about the child. Help participants make connections between the observed behaviors and skills and the child's emerging literacy.

  9. Building Bridges with Families: Suggest that participants share with parents the strategies listed in the column titles Adults Can in Appendix C: Emerging Literacy: From Cooing to Conventional Reading and Writing . Together, staff and families can plan ways to encourage children's language development--in the home language and in English, as appropriate.


Activity 1-3:
The Comforts of Home		 Workshop icon Purpose: In this activity, participants recall the feelings evoked by early language-related memories, learn strategies that can be used in any setting to support children's language learning, and plan ways staff and families can collaborate to support language development.

Outcomes:

Participants support the ongoing, natural process of emerging literacy for all children, including those who are learning a second language and those with disabilities.

Participants collaborate with families to support children's language and literacy learning at home and in Head Start settings.

Materials:

Trainer Preparation Notes: Parents are always welcome at Head Start staff training sessions; however, this workshop activity is specifically designed to involve Head Start parents and education staff in a joint session. This approach can be particularly helpful if more than one home language is represented among the families enrolled in the program. For more information, see Appendix A: Responding to Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Children and Families. Share the ideas for building skills that are presented in the Next Steps section of this module.

  1. Explain to participants that this activity will focus on the strategies that families and Head Start staff can use to encourage children's emerging literacy in various settings and situations.

  2. Ask participants to form small groups of four or five people. Distribute and review the instructions for Handout 4: Magical Memories. Give participants 20 minutes to complete this assignment.

  3. Invite the small groups to share their rhymes and songs with the whole group. Lead a discussion about the feelings, memories, and adjectives that these rhymes and songs bring to mind. Cover the following points in the discussion:

    • Favorite rhymes, songs, and books are remembered long after children leave the preschool years. They continue to bring to mind feelings of love and security.

    • Children first learn about language in the environment of their homes and families.

    • The languages children learn at home are tied to their cultures' traditions, values, and attitudes.

    • Children's first language connects them to their home, family, and culture.

    • Children's home language includes more than talking; it is tied to thinking, feeling, and enjoying the company of others.

    • The skills children use to learn their first language are also used to learn a second language.

    • Parents and Head Start staff can help children retain their skills in their first language while helping them acquire English language skills.

    • Being able to communicate in more than one language is an asset that children can use throughout their lives.

    Trainer Preparation Notes: If all participants attended the previous workshop in this module, you may want to skip the next step or offer a very brief review of emerging literacy.

  4. Present a brief overview of emerging literacy. Explain that this concept includes four interconnected language skills--listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Emphasize that emerging literacy is an ongoing process that begins in infancy. Record on chart paper the following general strategies adults can use to support children's emerging literacy:

    • Listen to and talk with children
    • Read to children of all ages
    • Provide books and materials for children to explore
    • Model language skills for children

    Ask participants for specific ideas for using each strategy. Record their suggestions on chart paper. Some examples of specific ideas include the following:

    • Listen to and talk with children of all ages

      — Introduce songs and rhymes

      — Play games such as peek-a-boo

      — Answer children's questions

      — Ask children open-ended questions

      — Point out the many examples of print at Head Start, home, and when away from home--for example, food packages, street signs, and bulletin boards

    • Read to and with children of all ages

      — Read books at a regular time every day

      — Talk about the pictures and the story

      — Let children choose what to read and for how long

      — Read favorite books again and again

      — Read books with repetitive words and phrases that children can memorize

    • Provide books and materials for children to explore

      — Books that match children's development, cultures, and interests

      — Paper and writing tools--for example, crayons, paint and brushes, markers

      — Chalkboard and chalk

      — Junk mail, coupons, catalogs, old magazines

      — Alphabet blocks, stamps, tiles, magnets, charts

    • Model language skills for children

      — Read and write where children see you

      — Ask children to help you write a list or a letter to a friend

      — Ask children to describe what they are doing

      — Include children in conversations

      — Describe what you are doing

      — Listen carefully to children's stories

      — Respond to children's communications--cries, babbles, gestures, and words

    Trainer Preparation Notes: If there is time, you could lead participants in a discussion about strategies they have used to encourage their own children's language development and/or their childhood memories of times when they were encouraged to use language skills.

  5. Have participants form small groups. Distribute and review the instructions for Handout 5: Encouraging Children's Language Development. Assign one or two situations to each group. Give participants 10 minutes to complete this assignment.

  6. Ask each group to share its responses to the situations on Handout 5: Encouraging Children's Language Development. Lead a discussion highlighting how its responses are varied and how they are similar. Make the following points:

    • Many of the strategies adults can use to encourage children's language learning take no extra time. They are woven into the routines and activities of daily life.

    • Many of the strategies adults can use to encourage children's language learning require no special materials. Libraries have rich collections of children's books and tapes, offer services such as story times, and contain sections devoted to materials in different languages. Print is present all around us. Children enjoy using scrap paper, junk mail, catalogs, coupons, and so on.

    • One of the most important things adults can do to encourage language learning is to listen to and talk with children. This lets children feel valued, helps them learn to express their ideas and feelings, teaches them how to actively participate in conversations, increases their vocabularies, and supports the development of thinking and social skills.

    • No child is too young to be read to. Although a baby does not understand the words, she will learn to associate reading with being close to a person who loves and cares for her.

    • There are opportunities to support listening, speaking, reading, and writing in many different settings--at home, on the bus, at Head Start, outdoors, at the park, at a health clinic, and so on.

  7. Building Bridges with Families: Have parents and the Head Start staff who work with their children form small groups. Ask each small group to plan ways group members can work together to support children's emerging literacy at home and in Head Start settings.


Activity 1-4:
Capturing the Memories		 Coaching icon Purpose: In this activity, participants collaborate with a family to create a language album for their child.

Outcomes:

Participants support the ongoing, natural process of emerging literacy for all children, including those who are learning a second language and those with disabilities.

Participants collaborate with families to support children's language and literacy learning at home and in Head Start settings.

Materials:

Coach Preparation Notes: A language album is similar to a portfolio, as discussed in the Head Start staff training guides Observing and Recording: Tools for Decision Making and Individualizing: A Plan for Success, in that it documents a child's progress and relevant characteristics and is used by staff and families as a planning tool. The language album could be a section of the child's portfolio. Generally, portfolios are maintained by Head Start staff, with contributions documenting the child's experiences at home and at Head Start. In this activity we suggest that families, rather than Head Start staff, take the lead in maintaining a child's language album because language learning is rooted in the home. Head Start staff can provide the information and materials families need to get started, offer support, make regular contributions, and meet often to discuss the contents and plan strategies for supporting the child's language learning.

  1. Explain to participants that this activity will focus on how Head Start staff and families can collaborate to create language albums that record a child's emerging literacy and to plan strategies that support the child's language development at home and in Head Start settings.

  2. Review with participants the crucial role families play in supporting their children's language development. Use the information in Appendix A: Responding to Linguistically and Culturally Diverse Children and Families and Appendix B: Strategies for Supporting Children with Speech or Language Delays or Disorders as appropriate. Discuss the following key points:

    • Encouraging children's language development in English and home languages is a natural part of most families' daily routines and activities.

    • Parents can encourage children's listening, speaking, reading, and writing at home, on the bus, outdoors, at the park, at a health clinic, at the barber shop, and so on.

    • Families do not need special materials to encourage language learning. Scrap paper, junk mail, catalogs, coupons, and other items can be found in most homes. Libraries have books, tapes, resources, and activities like story times in English and other languages.

    • When parents listen to and talk with children, the children learn about family and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions; gain cognitive and social skills; and benefit in many other ways. Children learn to:

      — Make sense of language
      — Become language users
      — Express their ideas and feelings appropriately
      — Become active, polite conversation partners

    • Parents can read to a child of any age. Although a baby does not understand the words, she will learn to associate reading with being close to a person who loves and cares for her.

    • When reading to children in English and home languages, parents do not have to read every word on the page. Talking about the pictures is a wonderful way to help children learn to love books and reading.

    • Families are eyewitnesses to much of their children's language learning. Capturing these memories in a language album is fun and builds positive relationships between parents and children. The items included in an album provide concrete examples of how language develops. Recording a child's progress may motivate families to continue encouraging their children's language learning.

  3. Explain to participants that a language album is a personal record of a child's growing language skills. Distribute Handout 6: Creating a Language Album and review Part I: Background Information. Brainstorm additional examples of what a family might include in the child's language album at different ages and stages of development.

  4. Review the instructions on Part II of Handout 6: Creating a Language Album. Provide a container (for example, a large loose-leaf notebook, portable file box, or accordion file) and other materials the family can use to create a language album. Ask participants to complete this task before the next coaching session.

  5. Building Bridges with Families: Meet with participants to discuss what happened when they involved a family in creating a language album. Have them make follow-up plans as described in Part III of Handout 6: Creating a Language Album.

Next Steps:
Ideas to Extend Practice		 Next Steps icon Participants can build on the skills developed through this guide by completing the following activities, independently or with other staff. Some of these activities can contribute to participants' professional portfolios.

Encourage Family Literacy

Research the family literacy programs in your community: Who is the sponsor? What does the program offer? Where is it located? When are classes held? How do families enroll? Share what you learn with other staff and with parents. Hold a meeting, make an audiotape, engage in one-on-one conversations with literacy program staff, or invite a representative to make a presentation for the Head Start program.

Possible Portfolio Entry: The meeting agenda, audiotape script, or materials provided by the family literacy program representative

Retool and Re energize Your Writing Skills

Start a journal to capture your thoughts and ideas or take a workshop or writing class at your local community college. Focus on creativity and/or the mechanics of writing--whatever is most interesting and useful for you.

Possible Portfolio Entry: Writing samples from your journal or class

Read for Fun and Information

Invite other interested staff members to form a book club. You can read and discuss whatever is interesting to the group. Choose your first book, then meet, discuss, share ideas, and enjoy being lifelong learners.

Possible Portfolio Entry: The book club's reading list

Turn off the Television

Make a commitment to turn off the television whenever you catch yourself watching something you are not really interested in. Instead of watching television, you could read a magazine article, organize a recipe file, write a poem, talk to a family member, or invite a neighbor to visit.

Possible Portfolio Entry: A journal entry about what you did and why it was preferable to watching television

Collaborate with the Disabilities Services Coordinator

Ask the disabilities services coordinator to observe the children's play and use of language skills. He or she can share the observation recordings with staff and help them review the environment, materials, and other program practices to determine whether changes are needed to support the emerging literacy of all children, including children with disabilities. This can serve as an opportunity for the disabilities services coordinator to ensure that goals from the child's IFSP/IEP (Individualized Family Service Plan/Individualized Education Program) are being addressed at Head Start, at home, and through support from specialists.

Possible Portfolio Entry: List of changes in program practices and observed outcomes.

1Based on Patsy L. Pierce, "Emergent Literacy: What Children Can Learn About Reading and Writing Before They Go to School." In P. Pierce, editor. Baby Power: A Guide for Families for Using Assistive Technology with Their Infants and Toddlers (Chapel Hill, N.C.: The Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).

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