Betty Bardige, Ed.D. Building Language, Literacy, Culture and Community in Early Childhood Jewish Education

Words Play a Central Role in Jewish Culture People of the Book Answer a question with a question Value commentary and discussion Learning is sweet – and begins early

People of the Book

Answer a question with a question

Value commentary and discussion

Learning is sweet – and begins early

The key to school readiness is language development, fostered in caring relationships through frequent, vocabulary-stretching conversations that stimulate and build upon children’s natural curiosity.

Jack’s mother … Attends to his feelings uses playful discipline techniques joins him in pretend play expands his play and language engages him in information-rich conversation uses questions to help him tell his story

Attends to his feelings

uses playful discipline techniques

joins him in pretend play

expands his play and language

engages him in information-rich conversation

uses questions to help him tell his story

The Widening Gap in Young Children ’ s Vocabularies Source: Hart, B., and Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children . Baltimore, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company, p. 47.

Source: Hart, B., and Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children . Baltimore, Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company, p. 47.

Children developed richer vocabularies when parents … talked A LOT shared more information asked more questions issued relatively fewer commands offered more choices were generally more responsive engaged children in playful conversation used more rare and unusual words

talked A LOT

shared more information

asked more questions

issued relatively fewer commands

offered more choices

were generally more responsive

engaged children in playful conversation

used more rare and unusual words

Play Makes the Difference! Play Talk Responsive to child Imaginative and often silly Open-ended Encouraging Offers choices Asks and explores questions More complex sentences More adjectives; rhyming Richer vocabulary Engages both partners Past, future, what if Business Talk Adult-initiated Serious Goal oriented Fewer “affirmations” Directive Statements and commands Short and to the point Prose Simplified vocabulary One-sided “conversation” Here and now

Play Talk

Responsive to child

Imaginative and often silly

Open-ended

Encouraging

Offers choices

Asks and explores questions

More complex sentences

More adjectives; rhyming

Richer vocabulary

Engages both partners

Past, future, what if

Business Talk

Adult-initiated

Serious

Goal oriented

Fewer “affirmations”

Directive

Statements and commands

Short and to the point

Prose

Simplified vocabulary

One-sided “conversation”

Here and now

The Widening Gap in Language Input Addressed to Young Children Source: Hart, B., and Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children . Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company, p. 198.

Source: Hart, B., and Risley, T. (1995). Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children . Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company, p. 198.

Children don’t learn to talk by watching TV. To become good communicators, they need the back and forth engagement of meaningful conversation.

Jewish Conversation-Rich Classrooms

Jill’s center has … lots of . . . Books Large-group “activities” Interest centers Labels Pretend play materials Music Letter-naming activities Quizzing Teaching of simple concepts but little . . . Dialogic reading Small group conversation Integration of reading and writing Personally meaningful print Adult involvement in pretend play Word play Story-telling Genuine questioning Extended exploration & information sharing

lots of . . .

Books

Large-group “activities”

Interest centers

Labels

Pretend play materials

Music

Letter-naming activities

Quizzing

Teaching of simple concepts

but little . . .

Dialogic reading

Small group conversation

Integration of reading and writing

Personally meaningful print

Adult involvement in pretend play

Word play

Story-telling

Genuine questioning

Extended exploration & information sharing

Effective Programs Early Head Start and Head Start Parent/Child Home Program Parents as Teachers High Quality Child Care

Early Head Start and Head Start

Parent/Child Home Program

Parents as Teachers

High Quality Child Care

The Power of Bilingualism Young bilingual children, learning two languages simultaneously, tend to have the same overall vocabulary (with some words in each language and some in both) as monolingual counterparts Learning a second language – or two first languages – increases cognitive flexibility (seeing the same thing in two different ways) Learning a second language in childhood increases verbal and nonverbal IQ --- Genesee, F., J. Paradis, and M. B. Crago (2004) Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning, Paul H. Brookes Publishing .

Young bilingual children, learning two languages simultaneously, tend to have the same overall vocabulary (with some words in each language and some in both) as monolingual counterparts

Learning a second language – or two first languages – increases cognitive flexibility (seeing the same thing in two different ways)

Learning a second language in childhood increases verbal and nonverbal IQ

--- Genesee, F., J. Paradis, and M. B. Crago (2004) Dual Language Development and Disorders: A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning, Paul H. Brookes Publishing .

Positive Caregiving for US Children Ages 1 to 3 Source: NICHD Early Child Care Research Network. (2000). Characteristics and quality of child care for toddlers and preschoolers. Applied Developmental Science , 4.

Cumulative State Investment by Age, Contrasted with Brain Growth Source: Voices for America ’ s Children and the Child and Family Policy Center (2004). Early Learning Left Out: An Examination of Public Investments in Education and Development by Child Age.

Source: Voices for America ’ s Children and the Child and Family Policy Center (2004). Early Learning Left Out: An Examination of Public Investments in Education and Development by Child Age.

Iowa Spending by Child Age Source: Voices for America’s Children and the Child and Family Policy Center. (2004). Early Learning Left Out: An Examination of Public Investments in Education and Development by Child Age.

Source: Voices for America’s Children and the Child and Family Policy Center. (2004). Early Learning Left Out: An Examination of Public Investments in Education and Development by Child Age.

A Bilingual Language-Rich Setting

The Basic Ingredients Warm relationships Interesting things to talk about Interested people to talk with

Warm relationships

Interesting things to talk about

Interested people to talk with

A Language-Rich Program

Books are familiar friends …

& springboards for conversation

Books and planned activities prompt investigation . . .

… extended projects

… and pretend play

Lots of opportunities to read…

… and write

explore

and share

Partnership with Parents Share key messages and explain research Bring family stories and funds of knowledge into the classroom Support home language and bilingualism Encourage parent/child language and literacy activities Build a community that celebrates Jewish culture and supports Jewish identity and values

Share key messages and explain research

Bring family stories and funds of knowledge into the classroom

Support home language and bilingualism

Encourage parent/child language and literacy activities

Build a community that celebrates Jewish culture and supports Jewish identity and values

Building Community Sharing celebrations and other events Creating home/school connections and opportunities for families to participate in planning, enriching, and evaluating programs Creating opportunities to appreciate difference and learning joyfully across culture Tikkun olam projects that children can help with or with results they can see

Sharing celebrations and other events

Creating home/school connections and opportunities for families to participate in planning, enriching, and evaluating programs

Creating opportunities to appreciate difference and learning joyfully across culture

Tikkun olam projects that children can help with or with results they can see

Advocacy Organizations NAEYC Children’s Champions www.naeyc.org MomsRising www.momsrising.org ZERO TO THREE Policy Center www.zerotothree.org Voices for America’s Children www.voices.org

NAEYC Children’s Champions www.naeyc.org

MomsRising www.momsrising.org

ZERO TO THREE Policy Center www.zerotothree.org

Voices for America’s Children www.voices.org

Spread the Word Words are brain food for toddlers. Support the people who build children’s brains – ensure that they have the resources and education they need. VOTE in the interest of children.

Words are brain food for toddlers.

Support the people who build children’s brains – ensure that they have the resources and education they need.

VOTE in the interest of children.

So that every child begins school with a wealth of words