eecera prague 2007 1 improving language and literacy opportunities in an early years setting annette...

EECERA Prague 2007

1

Improving Language and

Literacy Opportunities in an Early Years Setting

Annette J. Kearns, IPPA Annette J. Kearns, IPPA IrelandIreland

[email protected]@ippa.ie

2 EECERA Prague 2007

What impact do practical What impact do practical

strategies have on the provision strategies have on the provision

of language and literacy of language and literacy

opportunities in an early years opportunities in an early years

setting?setting?

Research Research Question…Question…


• What prompted this study?What prompted this study?

• Who was involved?Who was involved?

BackgroundBackground


• Illiteracy levels in this geographical area are higher Illiteracy levels in this geographical area are higher

than the national average (Eivers et al 2004)than the national average (Eivers et al 2004)

• One third of all households in this area are headed by One third of all households in this area are headed by

a lone parent – over twice the national average a lone parent – over twice the national average

(Dartington Social Research Unit 2004)(Dartington Social Research Unit 2004)

• 29% of the children in this area live with one or both 29% of the children in this area live with one or both

parents who have no educational qualificationsparents who have no educational qualifications

ContextContext


Vygotsky (1978) Vygotsky (1978)

Bruner (1986)Bruner (1986)

Strickland (1989)Strickland (1989)

Whitehead (1999)Whitehead (1999)

Literature Literature ReviewReview


Vygotsky Vygotsky (1978)(1978)

… … believed that the child begins to believed that the child begins to

perceive the world not only through perceive the world not only through

their eyes but also through their their eyes but also through their

speechspeech


Bruner Bruner (1986)(1986)

… … considered storytelling as being considered storytelling as being

important to enable us in important to enable us in

‘understanding self and bringing ‘understanding self and bringing

cognition, emotion and action together cognition, emotion and action together

to give experience ‘cultural relevance’ to give experience ‘cultural relevance’


… … believed that learning to read and believed that learning to read and

write requires active participation in write requires active participation in

activities that have meaning in the activities that have meaning in the

child’s daily life and are interrelated child’s daily life and are interrelated

processes that develop in concert processes that develop in concert

with oral languagewith oral language

Strickland Strickland (1989)(1989)


Whitehead Whitehead (1999)(1999)

… … considers that ‘children need considers that ‘children need

adults to be literacy facilitators adults to be literacy facilitators

who provide the time, opportunities who provide the time, opportunities

and materials for literacy to and materials for literacy to

happen and for children and print happen and for children and print

of all kinds to get together’ of all kinds to get together’


Research Research MethodologyMethodology

Action ResearchAction Research

IdeaIdea reconnaissance plan reconnaissance plan

Action steps 1 2 and 3 Action steps 1 2 and 3

monitor implementationmonitor implementation

revise planrevise plan reconnaissance reconnaissance

STAGE 1 Completed STAGE 1 Completed


SampleSample

PROFILE OF THE GROUPPROFILE OF THE GROUP 12 practitioners from the one childcare service12 practitioners from the one childcare service All are aged between 19 and 48All are aged between 19 and 48 5 completed primary; 7 started but only 4 completed 5 completed primary; 7 started but only 4 completed

secondary; 6 of the total group have completed a basic secondary; 6 of the total group have completed a basic

childcare qualificationchildcare qualification Poor confidence levels with regard to own literacy which is Poor confidence levels with regard to own literacy which is

at varying levelsat varying levels All from local and surrounding areasAll from local and surrounding areas

Working with children aged between 3 months and 10 yearsWorking with children aged between 3 months and 10 years


Data Collection Data Collection MethodsMethods

Participant ObservationParticipant Observation

Group members Group members

Throughout programmeThroughout programme

QualitativeQualitative

InterviewInterview

Centre managerCentre manager

End of programmeEnd of programme

Focus GroupFocus Group

Group members Group members

End of programmeEnd of programme


Programme Programme informationinformation

IPPA/PLN is a 10 hour programme, delivered IPPA/PLN is a 10 hour programme, delivered

over 3 or 4 sessions, and it explores the role over 3 or 4 sessions, and it explores the role

that language and literacy plays in early years that language and literacy plays in early years

services.services.

New strategies are discussed and practitioners New strategies are discussed and practitioners

have an opportunity to engage in the process.have an opportunity to engage in the process.

It supports children’s language development It supports children’s language development

and emergent literacy practices.and emergent literacy practices.


Strategies being Strategies being used…used…

Before During Before During

and After and After

(BDA) (BDA)

storytelling storytelling

technique technique



BookmakBookmakinging


StorytellinStorytellin

g g

and and

Story Story

actingacting

(Vivian Gussin (Vivian Gussin

Paley)Paley)



The starting The starting point…point…

What does language What does language

mean?mean? ‘‘being able to talk’being able to talk’ ‘‘being able to be being able to be

understood’understood’ ‘‘knowing what to say knowing what to say

and how to say it’and how to say it’

What does literacy What does literacy

mean?mean?

‘‘books and books and

reading’reading’

‘‘being able to read’being able to read’


‘‘In the pre-school, before they go to school you In the pre-school, before they go to school you should be trying to teach them their letters’should be trying to teach them their letters’

‘‘You could teach them the alphabet when they You could teach them the alphabet when they are about three but reading is for when they are about three but reading is for when they are in school’are in school’

‘‘When the children show an interest in playschool When the children show an interest in playschool you could teach them their letters. Some of you could teach them their letters. Some of them want to know the letters in their names’them want to know the letters in their names’

What is the adult’s What is the adult’s role?role?


What is current What is current provision like?provision like?

The baby roomThe baby room – –

‘‘we’re with the babies so you can’t really do anything’we’re with the babies so you can’t really do anything’

The toddlers roomThe toddlers room – –

‘‘we try and read them stories but they don’t really listen’we try and read them stories but they don’t really listen’

The pre-school roomThe pre-school room – –

‘‘we have a story time every day and the children have to we have a story time every day and the children have to

sit and listen. They also have to read books for time-out sit and listen. They also have to read books for time-out

when they get too rowdy’when they get too rowdy’

The after-school roomThe after-school room – –

‘‘our children are a mix of ages so we don’t really do any our children are a mix of ages so we don’t really do any

stories but the older ones sometimes look at the books’stories but the older ones sometimes look at the books’


Programme of Programme of implementationimplementation

Over a period of 6 weeks, the Over a period of 6 weeks, the programme was delivered. programme was delivered.

In each session the practitioners In each session the practitioners engaged in 2 new strategies . engaged in 2 new strategies .

Each practitioner was then expected to Each practitioner was then expected to bring these back to the children they bring these back to the children they work with and try them out in the work with and try them out in the setting.setting.


‘‘The thing I took from it was to take more time selecting The thing I took from it was to take more time selecting

a story for story time, being more aware of picking a a story for story time, being more aware of picking a

story that they can join in – and it did work!’story that they can join in – and it did work!’

‘‘We made books of photos and the kids told the story of We made books of photos and the kids told the story of

what was happening. ‘Cos its Christmas we put in what was happening. ‘Cos its Christmas we put in

Christmas pictures and then we talked all about the Christmas pictures and then we talked all about the

different things’.different things’.

Focus group Focus group findings…findings…


‘‘The ones that listened to a story went off and did more, did The ones that listened to a story went off and did more, did

a picture about it’.a picture about it’.

‘‘Storytime wasn’t working out so we changed the seating Storytime wasn’t working out so we changed the seating

and were more careful with the choice of book. We got and were more careful with the choice of book. We got

them to join in and they stayed which was unusual’them to join in and they stayed which was unusual’

‘‘I read the story and then they read it back to me – I read the story and then they read it back to me –

sometimes it does sound like the story and sometimes it’s sometimes it does sound like the story and sometimes it’s

their own little story. But, yea, its really good to hear their own little story. But, yea, its really good to hear

them saying it’them saying it’

Focus group Focus group findings…findings…


Is there a difference in practice?Is there a difference in practice? Implementing the new strategies and sharing ideas Implementing the new strategies and sharing ideas

from one room to another. from one room to another.

Increased level of engagement in reading activities Increased level of engagement in reading activities and extending these activities through the BDAand extending these activities through the BDA

Increasing their use of props to aid storytellingIncreasing their use of props to aid storytelling

How they are taking time to figure out what might How they are taking time to figure out what might make something new work.make something new work.

A noted increased level of dialogue with the A noted increased level of dialogue with the children.children.

Interview Interview findings…findings…


‘‘there is a shift to a positive attitude towards there is a shift to a positive attitude towards

language and literacy. It is no longer regarded language and literacy. It is no longer regarded

as an activity they have to get done and move as an activity they have to get done and move

on, it has become an enjoyable part of the day, on, it has become an enjoyable part of the day,

in fact a major part of the day’.in fact a major part of the day’.

‘‘they are all delighted with all that (the children they are all delighted with all that (the children

wanting lots of books read to them) and they wanting lots of books read to them) and they

are seeing the benefits of doing it all’are seeing the benefits of doing it all’

Interview Interview findings…findings…


Observation Observation findings…findings…

The Baby RoomThe Baby Room – – are now reading stories to the are now reading stories to the babies and playing talking and singing games babies and playing talking and singing games

The Toddler RoomThe Toddler Room - made the book area attractive - made the book area attractive to the children and placed an adult in the area at all to the children and placed an adult in the area at all times. Children began to look for stories to be read times. Children began to look for stories to be read to them and began to select their own preferences. to them and began to select their own preferences. Adults talk more to the children now.Adults talk more to the children now.

The Pre-school Room The Pre-school Room – Both children and adults – Both children and adults enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned into table-top games and creative activities.turned into table-top games and creative activities.


Observation Observation findings…findings…

The Pre-school Room The Pre-school Room – Both children and adults – Both children and adults

enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned enjoy the BDA. Stories are being extended and turned

into table-top games and creative activities. The into table-top games and creative activities. The

children have begun to read books to each other and children have begun to read books to each other and

to the adults ‘they weren’t really reading you know, to the adults ‘they weren’t really reading you know,

they were reading the pictures!’.they were reading the pictures!’.

The Afterschool Room The Afterschool Room - They began to read to each - They began to read to each

other following encouragement from the adults. other following encouragement from the adults.

Adults provided more creative activities and became Adults provided more creative activities and became

more involved with the children, engaging in dialogue.more involved with the children, engaging in dialogue.


What impact do practical strategies have What impact do practical strategies have

on the provision of on the provision of

language and literacy opportunities language and literacy opportunities

in an early years setting?in an early years setting?

Research Research Question…Question…


With the Practitioners…With the Practitioners…

A definite increase in confidence A definite increase in confidence

with regard to their own literacywith regard to their own literacy

A willingness to share ideas that A willingness to share ideas that

work within the settingwork within the setting

A willingness to take risks trying out A willingness to take risks trying out

new strategiesnew strategies

Conclusions…


With the children…With the children…An increased interest in books and An increased interest in books and reading from the childrenreading from the children

An increase in the children’s self An increase in the children’s self esteem with regard to books and esteem with regard to books and bookmakingbookmaking

An increase in dialogue between the An increase in dialogue between the practitioners and the childrenpractitioners and the children

Conclusions…


Implications for Implications for policy and practicepolicy and practice

More training needed to help continue the More training needed to help continue the

shift towards positive engagementshift towards positive engagement More resources needed to help provide this More resources needed to help provide this

training to services in disadvantaged areas.training to services in disadvantaged areas. More research needed into the language More research needed into the language

and literacy needs within every communityand literacy needs within every community


ThankThank YouYou

eecera prague 2007 1 improving language and literacy opportunities in an early years setting annette...

Documents

eecera prague

speech slide

background slide

literature review slide

literacy opportunities

illiteracy levels

geographical area

literacy facilitators