This document discusses emergent literacy and its importance for early childhood development. It defines emergent literacy as the early skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are developmental precursors to conventional reading and writing. These include vocabulary, narrative skills, print motivation, print awareness, letter knowledge, and phonological awareness. Emergent literacy begins at birth and is fostered through social interactions with caregivers and exposure to literacy materials. Children who start school without having developed early literacy skills are at higher risk for later reading difficulties. The document also discusses tools for measuring emergent literacy skills and provides recommendations for parents, teachers, and organizations to promote early literacy development.

1. Nöb:120949-311.11.2009Ders: Historical and Theoretical Bases of ECEKonu: Emergent / Early Literacy At-risk ChildrenKonuşanlar:Ümit XXXXXXXXXXXX

2. Then & NowWeusedtothinkthatchildren'ssuccess at readingdepended on gettingthe"right" firstgradeteacher. Nowweknowthatyourchild'slikelihoodforsuccess in thefirstgradedepends on howmuchshe'slearnedaboutreadingbeforeenteringschool.Itwasbelievedthatchildrenmustlearntoreadbeforetheycouldlearntowrite. Clay (1975) emphasizedtheimportance of therelationshipbetweenwritingandreading in earlyliteracydevelopment.Especially in Turkey, kindergardensusedto be viewed as “centersforjustlookingafterthechildrenwhiletheirparentsare at workorjusttokeeptheenergetickidsawayfromhome.” NowTurkishparentsaregettingtounderstandthat …

3. History of theterm: EmergentLiteracyTealeandSulzby (1986) givessomedetailsforthehistorical background:1800s tothe 1920s theresearchliterature on readingandwritingfocusedonly on theelementaryschoolyears.Inthe 1920s, educatorsbegantorecognizetheearlychildhoodandkindergartenyears as a "period of preparation" forreadingandwriting.  ReadingReadinessThe dominant theoryfromthe 1920s intothe 1950s wasthatreadingreadinesswastheresult of biologicalmaturation.  NatureDuringthelate 1950s and 1960s Researchersarguedthatifchildren had theappropriateexperiences, theirreadingreadinesscould be accelerated.  Nurture

4. Afterthisshift in theview, in readingreadinessprograms,childrenwereconsideredreadytoreadwhenthey had met certainsocial, physical, andcognitivecompetencies (Morrow, 1997). In 1966, New Zealand researcher Marie Clay introduced the term emergent literacy to describe the behaviors seen in young children when they use books and writing materials to imitate reading and writing activities, even though the children cannot actually read and write in the conventional sense (Ramsburg, 1998).

5. UnderstandingLiteracyDevelopment in YoungChildrenAnıl, agedoneand a half, is pretendingtoread - not an actualreadingactivity but imitation!

6. UnderstandingLiteracyDevelopment in YoungChildren2 yearsold4 yearsoldEmergentWritingperiods

7. FactsaboutEmergentLiteracyAccording to current research, children's literacy development begins long before children start formal instruction in elementary school (Allington & Cunningham, 1996; Burns, Griffin, & Snow, 1999; Clay, 1991; Hall & Moats, 1999; Holdaway, 1979; Teale & Sulzby, 1986).Almostallchildren in oursocietybegintoexhibitunderstandingsandlearningsaboutreadingandwritingearly in theirlives. Mostchildren, bytheage of 2 or 3, can identifysigns.

8. FactsaboutEmergentLiteracyThis literacy development is nourished by social interactions with caring adults and exposure to literacy materials, such as children's storybooks (Sulzby, 1991).It proceeds along a continuum, and children acquire literacy skills in a variety of ways and at different ages (Emergent Literacy Project, n.d.; McGee & Richgels, 1996; Ramsburg, 1998; Strickland & Morrow, 1988).

9. Children's skills in reading and writing develop at the same time and are interrelated rather than sequential  Not beforereadingthenwriting!(Teale & Sulzby, 1986). Children's growth from emergent to conventional literacy is influenced by their continuing literacy development, their understanding of literacy concepts, and the efforts of parents, caregivers, and teachers to promote literacy.FactsaboutEmergentLiteracy

10. Stages of DevelopmentLiteracy Skills

11. What is EmergentLiteracy?Itis a baby who chews on a book.Itis a toddler who wants his favorite book over and over.Itis a preschooler who “reads” the story to you from memory.(Burrows,2008)

12. What is EmergentLiteracy?SulzbyandTeale (1996, p. 728) state, "Emergentliteracy is concernedwiththeearliestphases of literacydevelopment, theperiodbetweenbirthandthe time whenchildrenreadandwriteconventionally. Currently, thisterm has beenexpandedtoincludereading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, andthinking (Cooper, 1997).Emergent literacy involves the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that are developmental precursors to conventional forms of reading and writing (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998)Thisperiod, which can be conceptualized as "kuluçka dönemi (emergentliteracy)" in theTurkishreading-writingeducation, is beginningtotaketheplace of the "readingreadiness" period (Çelenk, 2003).

13. Piaget’sandVygotksy’sViewsEmergent literacy is partly discovered; children construct their own ideas about literacy as they actively participate in literacy activities (Piaget). Emergent literacy also is based on behaviors modeled and supported by adults (Vygotsky) that encourage children to change and refine their own ideas to more closely match conventional notions.(Johnson, 1999)

14. Whatemergentliteracy is not?It is not “formal teaching of reading” to younger children.Formal instruction that pushes infants and toddlers to read is not developmentally appropriate.

15. It is not reading readiness! readingreadinesssuggestedthattherewas a point in time whenchildrenwerereadytolearntoreadandwrite, emergentliteracysuggestedthattherewerecontinuities in children'sliteracydevelopmentbetweenearlyliteracybehaviorsandthosedisplayedoncechildrencouldreadindependently(Idaho Center on DevelopmentalDisabilities, 1996).No rotememorization, no flashcards, no workbooksand no drillsarenecessary. Childrenwhoareexposedtointeractiveliteracy-richenvironments, full of funopportunitiestolearnlanguagewilldevelopearlyliteracyskills.AreSpokenLanguageandLiteracyConnected? Yes. Theexperienceswithtalkingandlisteninggainedduringthepreschoolperiodpreparechildrentolearntoreadandwriteduringtheearlyelementaryschoolyears. Thismeansthatchildrenwhoenterschoolwithweakerverbalabilitiesaremuchmorelikelytoexperiencedifficultieslearningliteracyskillsthanthosewho do not.

16. Components of EmergentLiteracy

17. Children withVocabulary skills understand:Soundhas meaning; I can make sounds to let others know what I need.Sounds by others make me feel safe or scared.I have a special namethat I hear others call me.Other people, things, places, and feelings all have special names, too.These names are spoken using particular soundsput together called words.

18. Children withNarrative skills understand:I can put words together to tell others what I’mthinking, feelingand wanting.I can learn what other people think, feel and want by listening to them.There are special ways words go together to makesentences.

19. Children withPrintMotivationunderstand:When someone reads this writing, it tells them something they need to know.Books are full of fun and interesting words and ideas.Being able to write and read is important.Being able to write and read is fun!

20. Children withPrint Awarenessunderstand:Words and sentences that are spoken can be “captured” in writing.We can writewords and sentences so other people can readthem.There is writingall around me on food labels, television, traffic signs, grocery store signs, lists, and in books.Writing and readingwork from left to right, from top to bottom.Books have a frontand back, a top and a bottom, and we read the words in books.

21. Children withLetter Knowledgeunderstand:Lettersare used to “capture” the wordsand sentencesthat people speak.Letters have particular names and shapes.I can recognize and name some letters.Each letter has two kinds of shapes: capital (uppercase)and little (lowercase.)Letters stand for particular sounds.

22. ChildrenwithPhonologicalAwarenessunderstandSound and Word DiscriminationI can hear that sentences are made up of separate words.I can tell when words arethe same as each other.I can tell when words aredifferentfrom each other.I can tell when sounds arethe sameas each other.I can tell when sounds aredifferentfrom each other.RhymingI can hear that some words soundalike–they rhyme.I can tell which wordsrhyme withother words when you say them to me.I can think of a word that rhymes witha word that you say.I can think of “make-believe” or “nonsense” words that rhyme with real words.Beginning, Middle and Ending Sound DiscriminationI can hear that some words have the same beginning sound, middle soundor ending sound.I know when a word begins withthe soundthat is the same asor different fromanother word.I know when a word ends withthe soundthat is the same asor different fromanother word.I can make up new words by changing the beginning, middle and ending sounds of words.Blending and SegmentationWhen you say each sound in a word slowly one by one I know the word. (Child blends a word that is segmented.)I can tell you all the sounds in a wordslowly one by one. (Child segments a word that is blended.)

23. How is it measured?One of thetools is TheKaufmanSurvey of EarlyAcademicandLanguageSkills (K-SEALS). K-SEALS is valuable in a variety of situations—testingschoolreadiness, identifyinggiftedand at-risk childrenandresearchingchildren’searlydevelopment. K-SEALS featuresthreeseparatesubtestsfor a well-rounded profile: VocabularySubtest

24. Numbers, Letters & Words

25. ArticulationSurveyInTurkey, Özgün Uyanık, a researchassistant at Afyon Kocatepe University-Faculty of Education, is currentlystudying on theadaptationandadministration of K-SEALS forTurkishstudents in her master'sthesis.

26. K-SealsShow theeaseland say: “Pointtothewordme.”me no on to in heFromNumbers, Letters & WordsSubtestShow theeaseland ask: What is this?Correctresponses:Cat – kitty – kittenFromVocabularySubtest

27. HowtofosterEmergentLiteracy?Pre-schoolTeacherscan create a print-richatmospherewithintheclassroom. She can affixlabels on theclassroomobjects, signs on thewalls (Tuvalet, Yemekhane, Kitap Köşesi, Sanat Köşesi, etc.)

28. can organize a richlibrarycornerwherethechildrenhavetheopportunityto listen tothestories on theirown.HowtofosterEmergentLiteracy?Pre-schoolTeachersUse developmentally appropriate literacy practice that acknowledges children’s development, interests, and literacy knowledge.

29. can provide a sandpool, crayons, pencilsandpaperfor at leastscribbling.

30. can take time to listen to children to determine their interests, language skills, and areas of need.

31. can establishparentinvolvement. (Johnston, 1998).

32. HowtofosterEmergentLiteracy?ParentsandCaregivers:Be a good role model

33. Read aloud to children

34. Dialogic Talk: Ask "what" questions. Expandwhatyourchildsays. Ask open-endedquestions)

35. Talk, sing, rhymeandtellstoriestoinfantsUseshort, simplesentences.

36. Don'tsimplifyyourspeechfortoddlers !

37. Keepkids' booksaccessibletothem on lowshelves.

38. Haveyourchildren'seyesightandhearingtestedearlyandannually.“Minimini bir kuş” and “Komşu Komşu” Anıl, who is aged 2, feat. Burcu 

39. Reading is KeySure, but can’t children develop solid reading skills if they start learning this all in elementary school?Not all of them……