2 Hour Course on Early Literacy

1. “There may be nothing more
important to children’s school
and work success than
early language development…” (Bardige 2005)

2. Your job is more important than a college professor!!!
YOU are a foundation builder for the child’s life!
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/siobhan-kukolic/are-you-laying-bricks-or-_b_12387634.html

3. Before a child enters kindergarten the
foundation is laid for reading-
actually when the child is
in the womb listening to you!
The child will be able to focus on learning
when he or she starts school.
The child will more likely read at or above reading level
by 3rd grade- (resulting in a successful future!)
http://gradelevelreading.net/about-us/campaign-overview
http://www.aecf.org/m/resourcedoc/AECF-Early_Warning_Full_Report-2010.pdf
Bobbee’s great granddaughter on first day of kindergarten.

4. Brain Development
“During infancy, brain development is occurring at a faster pace than
at any other time in a human being’s development. The networks
within the infant’s brain are transformed into an increasingly
complex web of visual, motor, language, and social/emotional
connections that are essential for later literacy learning.”
http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-language-literacy/why-begin-with-infants.html
•Birth – 25%
•1 year- 75%
•Age 3 – 80%
•Age 5 – 90%

5. How does a child develop brain cell connections?
NEURONS, SYNAPSES AND BRAIN WIRING:
A neuron is a brain nerve cell with multiple dendrites branching
from it and an axon . One neuron sends a message through it’s
axon to another neuron through connection called a synapse.
Then the other neuron receives the message traveling up
dendrites.

6. NEURONS, SYNAPSES AND BRAIN WIRING:
neuron
axon
synapse
dendrite
Did you know…
A child between ages 0 and 3 needs the fat from their diet, i.e.
breast milk, full fat milk, butter, etc. in order to build a special
insulated coating around the axons called a “myelin sheath”?
A myelin sheath helps the axons transfer messages efficiently.
Did you know…
Children ages 0-3 years have 2x as many synapses as an adult!
Synapses are formed at a faster rate during the ages of 0-3 than at any
other stage of life!
The more a synapse is used,
the stronger it gets!

7. Concept formation needs
concrete sensory experiences.
“Ball!
- a round
ball!
Bounce the
ball!”
Ball

9. A constellation of concepts results in a “vocabulary explosion” and a
toddler’s vocabulary quadruples! (Urban Child Institute, 2019)

10. READING is SYMBOLIC:
The child’s understanding of these symbols
must be built upon a foundation of
CONCRETE EXPERIENCE.
SYMBOLIC
Language
Letters
Reading
Telling Stories
PLAY with language
REPRESENTATION
of common experiences –
(i.e. play kitchen, wooden trucks,
fisher-price little people, songs,
rhymes, etc.- environment set up by a
loving caregiver, attaching vocabulary
to representational play experiences)
PLAY (with representational experiences)
SENSORIMOTOR
ACTUAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. EXPLORATION OF
ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL SENSES GUIDED BY A LOVING
CAREGIVER, ATTACHING LANGUAGE TO EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES
AND ROUTINES THROUGH SONGS, RHYMES, TALKING…
PLAY/ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE/HANDS ON EXPERIENCES
Experiencia Actual
Simulacion de Experiencias
(con juguetes)
Simbolicas Experiencias
(abstracto)
Libro de Dibujos/fotos

12. Reading is based on the child’s hands-on experiences!
SYMBOLIC
Language
Letters
Reading
Telling Stories
REPRESENTATION
(i.e. play kitchen, wooden trucks, fisher-price little people, songs,
rhymes, etc.- attaching vocabulary to representational play experiences)
PLAY (with representational experiences)
SENSORIMOTOR
ACTUAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. EXPLORATION OF ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL SENSES
GUIDED BY A LOVING CAREGIVER,
ATTACHING LANGUAGE
TO EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES AND ROUTINES
THROUGH SONGS, RHYMES, TALKING…
PLAY/ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE/HANDS ON EXPERIENCES

13. Actual Experience
Experiencia Actual
Representational Play
Simulacion de Experiencias
(con juguetes)
Reading
Simbolicas Experiencias
(abstracto)
Libro de Dibujos/fotos

14. Cut and paste 2 picture books of your choice onto your handouts.
For each book, fill out an actual experience activity and a play
experience activity for each book you choose. (groups of 2)

15. A child needs six early literacy skills to get ready to
read and succeed!

16. Here are five ways to get
those skills:
I love
books!

17. Print Motivation
I love books! Books are fun!

18. Studies show that when the interaction around
a book is negative (sit still!; listen!; harsh
language) then the young child likes reading and
books less. He associates the negative
interaction with the book and reading.
Sit still and listen!

19. Print Awareness
The child notices familiar written words
in their everyday environment.

20. Learning to differentiate the
appearance and names of the
letters of the alphabet.
Learning to understand that the
letters symbolically represent
actual sounds in spoken language.

21. Rhymes
Onomatopoeia
Playing with sounds in spoken words.
Differentiating separate sounds in a spoken word.
Recognizing distinct syllables
Blending sounds.
List of Phonemes:
http://www.auburn.edu/academic/education/reading_genie/spellings.html

22. • Naming (conceptualizing) things
• Attaching language to experiences
• Sequence of events
• Retelling events
• Retelling stories
• Parts of a story
The child is developing “story scripts”
in the brain- i.e. “schema.”*
*“schema theory: a theory of how people organize and activate their knowledge.
According to schema theory, as people learn about the world, they develop a large network of knowledge structures,
or schemas, with each schema connected to many others.
These schemas grow and change as a person acquires new information through experience and reading.”
(Anderson, 1984)

23. A constellation of concepts!
A constellation of
concepts in my brain!

24. READING is SYMBOLIC:
The child’s understanding of these symbols
must be built upon a foundation of
CONCRETE EXPERIENCE.
SYMBOLIC
Language
Letters
Reading
Telling Stories
PLAY with language
REPRESENTATION
of common experiences –
(i.e. play kitchen, wooden trucks,
fisher-price little people, songs,
rhymes, etc.- environment set up by a
loving caregiver, attaching vocabulary
to representational play experiences)
PLAY (with representational experiences)
SENSORIMOTOR
ACTUAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. EXPLORATION OF
ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL SENSES GUIDED BY A LOVING
CAREGIVER, ATTACHING LANGUAGE TO EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES
AND ROUTINES THROUGH SONGS, RHYMES, TALKING…
PLAY/ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE/HANDS ON EXPERIENCES

26. Actual Experience Representational Play Reading

27. Reading is based on the child’s hands-on experiences!
SYMBOLIC
Language
Letters
Reading
Telling Stories
REPRESENTATION
(i.e. play kitchen, wooden trucks, fisher-price little people, songs,
rhymes, etc.- attaching vocabulary to representational play experiences)
PLAY (with representational experiences)
SENSORIMOTOR
ACTUAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. EXPLORATION OF ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL SENSES
GUIDED BY A LOVING CAREGIVER,
ATTACHING LANGUAGE
TO EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES AND ROUTINES
THROUGH SONGS, RHYMES, TALKING…
PLAY/ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE/HANDS ON EXPERIENCES

28. THE AMOUNT OF WORDS A YOUNG CHILD POSSESSES (CONCEPTUALIZES)
CORRELATES TO FUTURE ACHIEVEMENT IN SCHOOL.
CHILDREN NEED WORDS
VOCABULARY IS CRUCIAL
THE FOUNDATION OF VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT:
CONCEPTUALIZATIONS (BRAIN CELL CONNECTIONS)
FORMED FROM PAST EXPERIENCES (BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE).
(BARDIGE, 2016)

29. “Children who enter kindergarten with vocabularies of
more than 6,000 words -and all of the concept
knowledge and wordplay experiences they represent-
have a working knowledge of word construction and
word meanings that prepares them well for reading”
(Bardige, 2016)

31. Groups of 2:
List the 6 Skills on a poster board. Draw or describe in writing a
classroom example of teaching each early literacy skill:

32. 5 WAYS TO GET THOSE
SKILLS:
I love
books!

33. • Helps listening skills.
• Slows down language (to help child
hear individual sounds in words).
• Helps children learn new vocabulary.

34. Talking helps the child
learn more words and
attach language to
concrete experiences!
Develops vocabulary and
comprehension.

35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_5u8-QSh6A
The “serve and return” technique
shapes brain architecture!(Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University)
Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University

37. Reading is the single
most important way
to help children get
ready to read.
Reading together or shared reading:
• Develops vocabulary and comprehension.
• Nurtures a love for reading.
• Motivates children to want to learn to read.
I love
books!

38. Por favor, lea para mí.
‫لي‬ ‫اقرأ‬ ‫فضلك‬ ‫من‬

39. Ask
“What”
Questions
DIALOGIC READING:
When reading with your child…
This is the first stage of “Dialogic Reading”.

40. Ask Open Ended Questions
DIALOGIC READING:
The second stage of Dialogic Reading can be used once a
child reaches the “Why?” language development milestone:

42. Shopping
List:
Through writing, the children learn that print has
purpose and meaning (print awareness). They also learn
“abc” recognition, and get practice for writing in school.
WRITING

43. PLAYING

44. Hands-on play activities provide vital opportunities for
brain development in symbolic thinking and event
schemas (scripts in the brain).
These skills are essential to future
reading achievement, especially
reading comprehension.

45. SO MANY WAYS TO PLAY!

46. Play “say it fast, say it slow.” *
Letter sound day game. *
Find letters in signs.
Make child’s name tag and have child
find name tag.
Make animal noises and other sounds.
* see handouts

47. Help the child “take words apart”
(say it slow)
and put the word “back together”
(say it fast).
“say it fast, say it slow.”
air plane
airplane

48. two syllable
word
flower
/flow/ /er/
/flow/ /er/
flower
one syllable word
truck
/tr/ /uck/
/tr/ /uck/
truck
Directions: with a partner:
Cut pictures in half.
Practice: “Say it fast/ say it slow”
Phonemic awareness game

49. DRAMATIC PLAY
PRETEND PLAY
FANTASY PLAY

50. When children are pretending through play, this
helps them learn to think symbolically. When
children act out stories or scenarios with a puppet
theatre or with the play kitchen, this builds
knowledge of story structure and vocabulary.

51. “Fantasy play is the glue that binds
together all other pursuits, including
the early teaching of reading and
writing skills…” -Vivian Gussin Paley (Paley, 2005)

52. BLOCK PLAY
Building with unit blocks helps children learn
concepts about measurement, spatial and
geometric concepts, and physics concepts such as
weight and balance.

53. BUILDING/
MANIPULATIVE PLAY
Playing with Legos and other manipulative toys
helps children develop eye/hand coordination,
learn to plan, and learn about geometric and
spatial concepts.

54. Through puzzles and other manipulative toys,
children learn shape and spatial concepts that lead
to letter recognition.
Puzzle table at the Mounce Library

55. PUPPET PLAY
Playing with puppets helps your child develop
language and literacy. They can practice making
sounds, talking, expressing feelings, as well as
creating and retelling stories.

56. SIX EARLY
LITERACY SKILLS

62. Reading is based on the child’s hands-on experiences!
SYMBOLIC
Language
Letters
Reading
Telling Stories
REPRESENTATION
(i.e. play kitchen, wooden trucks, fisher-price little people, songs,
rhymes, etc.- attaching vocabulary to representational play experiences)
PLAY (with representational experiences)
SENSORIMOTOR
ACTUAL HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE. EXPLORATION OF ENVIRONMENT WITH ALL SENSES
GUIDED BY A LOVING CAREGIVER,
ATTACHING LANGUAGE
TO EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES AND ROUTINES
THROUGH SONGS, RHYMES, TALKING…
PLAY/ BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE/HANDS ON EXPERIENCES

63. Actual Experience
Experiencia Actual
Representational Play
Simulacion de Experiencias
(con juguetes)
Reading
Simbolicas Experiencias
(abstracto)
Libro de Dibujos/fotos

64. When you take the time to plan learning centers and hands-on experiences
and play opportunities that foster:
• talking
• playing
• reading
• singing
• writing
you are building brain cell connections
that will lead to their future success!
You are important!

65. WHAT IS AT THE LIBRARY FOR YOU?

66. Bryan & College Station Library System
Bobbee Pennington
Coordinator, Brazos Valley Literacy Coalition https://brazosliteracycoalition.org/
Trainer, Texas Early Childhood Professional Development System Trainer # 2518
Email: bobbeepennington@brazosliteracycoalition.org
Online Early Literacy Course:
https://www.bcslibrary.org/family-literacy/early-literacy-programming
Storytelling & Early Literacy Website:
https://grandmabobbee.org

67. Websites to explore:
(cut and paste into your browser)
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/early-literacy-policy-and-practice-preschool-years
https://jbrary.com/youtube-playlists/
http://www.zerotothree.org
https://www.earlychildhoodwebinars.com/presenters/betty-bardige/
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/5-steps-for-brain-building-serve-and-return/
http://www.awealthofwords.com
https://www.bcslibrary.org/
https://www.bcslibrary.org/online-learning/#learningexpress
http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/

68. References
Anderson, Richard C., Hiebert, Elfrieda H., Scott, Judith A. Wilkinson, Ian A.G., Becoming a Nation of Readers: The Report of the Commission on Reading
Center for the Study of Reading, Champaign-Urbana, IL (1985), p. 23.
Bardige, Betty. At A Loss For Words: How America Is Failing Our Children. Temple University Press: Philadelphia, PA (2005).
Bardige, Betty. Tell, retell, and make up stories! A Wealth of Words. http://www.awealthofwords.com/tell-retell-and-make-up-stories/
Bardige, Betty. Talk to Me, Baby! Supporting Language Development in the First 3 Years, 2nd Ed. Brookes Publishing: Baltimore, MD (2016).
Bus, Adriana. Belsky, Jay. van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H. Crnic, Keith. “Attachment and Bookreading Patterns: A Study of Mothers, Fathers, and Their
Toddlers,” Early Childhood Research Quarterly 12, 81-98 (1997)
5 Steps for Brain-Building Serve and Return. Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. Cambridge, Massachusetts
https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/5-steps-for-brain-building-serve-and-return/
Gussin-Paley, Vivian. A Child's Work: The Importance of Fantasy Play. University of Chicago Press: Chicago, IL (2005)
Hart, Betty & Risley, Todd. “Vocabulary” Excerpted from Chapter 5 of Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children,
Paul H. Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, MD (1995).
Raising a Reader. Every Child Ready to Read, 2nd Edition, ALA: Chicago, IL, (2016).
Rosenkoetter, Sharon E. , Ed,. Knapp-philo, Joann, Ed. Learning to Read the World: Language And Literacy in the First Three Years. Zero to Three
Publishing, Washington, D.C. 2006, p. 528
Texas Education Agency. Key Comprehension Strategies to Teach. Reading Rockets: Arlington, VA http://www.readingrockets.org/article/key-
comprehension-strategies-teach
Urban Child Institute, 2019 www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/baby-and-brain
ZerotoThree: http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-language-literacy/why-begin-with-infants.html
Image Credits
Most images were purchased from Dreamstime.com (with royalty free license)
STOP SIGN: By United Nations - Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, Public Domain
Slide 7 and 9:-Brain cells: http://www.urbanchildinstitute.org/why-0-3/baby-and-brain
Slide 3: personal picture of my great-granddaughter- 1st day of school, 2017.
Slide 56 Blocks: By Ragesoss - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24984566
Slide 56 “Block Play” www.communityplaythings.com
Slide 57 Lego: By Klasbricks at English Wikipedia (Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Slide 59: http://www.melissaanddoug.com
Slide 59: https://www.communityplaythings.com/
Slide 64: pictures from the Mounce Public Library, Bryan, Texas.