Summary
EML1501
STUDY
NOTES
, CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE vii
STUDY UNIT 1:AN INTRODUCTORY ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY GUIDE1
1.1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.2 Language as a concept 2
1.3 WHAT IS EMERGENT LITERACY? 4
1.3.1 Explanations of emergent literacy 4
1.4 EMERGENT SPEAKING 5
1.5 LISTENING SKILLS 5
1.5.1 Phonological awareness 6
1.5.2 Vocabulary 6
1.5.3 Narrative skills 6
1.6 EMERGENT WRITING 7
1.6.1 Requirements for the development of writing skills 7
1.7 EMERGENT READING 8
1.7.1 Alphabet Knowledge 8
1.7.2 Print awareness 8
1.7.3 Comprehension 8
1.8 THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 9
1.8.1 The behaviourist approach to language learning 9
1.8.2 The nativist approach to language learning 9
1.8.3 The cognitive and social approach to language learning 10
1.9 STAGES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 10
1.9.1 The pre-linguistic stage 10
1.10 THE INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 11
1.10.1 The home environment 12
1.11 THE ROLE OF TEACHERS AND OTHER ADULTS 12
1.11.1 The reflective teacher 12
1.11.2 The teacher as the pedagogical leader 13
1.11.3 Children’s literature 14
1.11.4 The use of developmentally appropriate materials 14
1.11.5 Activity 14
1.11.6 Reflection questions 16
1.12 PLAY AS A PEDAGOGY FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING 16
1.12.1 What is play? 16
1.12.2 Theories about play 16
1.12.3 Types of play 18
1.12.4 Role of play 19
1.13 CONCLUSION 20
1.14 QUESTIONS ON UNIT 1 20
STUDY UNIT 2:Theories of language development 21
2.1 INTRODUCTION 21
2.2 THE MEANING OF LANGUAGE 23
...........
iii EM L1501/1
,CONTENTS
2.3 THE NATURE VERSUS NURTURE THEORETICAL VIEWPOINTS 24
2.3.1 Language as the product of nurture 24
2.3.2 Language as a product of nature 27
2.3.3 Piaget’s cognitive theory of language acquisition 28
2.4 APPLICATION OF THEORIES TO TEACHING 32
2.4.1 The Behaviourist theory for teaching language 32
2.4.2 The Nativist theory for teaching language 33
2.4.3 The Cognitivist theory for teaching language 33
2.4.4 Vygotsky’s theory for teaching language 34
2.5 CONCLUSION 36
2.6 Questions on Unit 2 36
STUDY UNIT 3:EMERGENT READING 38
3.1 INTRODUCTION 38
3.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES 38
3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL PRINT 40
3.4 SCHOOL EXPERIENCES 42
3.5 CHARACTERISATION OF EMERGENT READING 43
3.6 LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS 44
3.7 WHY READ TO CHILDREN? 45
3.7.1 Strategies for reading aloud 45
3.7.2 Activity 48
3.7.3 Reflection 48
3.8 MEDIA USED FOR STORY READING AND STORY TELLING 49
3.8.1 Puppets in storytelling and story reading 49
3.8.2 Flannel board stories 50
3.9 TECHNIQUES FOR READING 50
3.9.1 Shared Reading 50
3.9.2 Independent reading 51
3.10 APPROACHES OF PROMOTING EMERGENT READING 52
3.10.1 Whole word approach or the look and say approach 53
3.10.2 The language experience approach 53
3.10.3 PHONETIC APPROACH 55
3.11 CONCLUSION 57
3.12 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 57
STUDY UNIT 4:EMERGENT WRITING 58
4.1 INTRODUCTION 58
4.2 DEFINITION OF EMERGENT WRITING 60
4.3 PREREQUISITES FOR THE ACQUISITION OF WRITING SKILLS 61
4.3.1 Physical development and writing skills 61
4.4 COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND EMERGENT WRITING 62
4.4.1 Conceptual knowledge and emergent writing. 63
4.4.2 Procedural knowledge 63
4.4.3 Implications for emergent writing 63
4.5 GENERATIVE KNOWLEDGE 64
4.6 ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT AND EMERGENT WRITING 64
4.6.1 Implications for emergent writing 64
4.7 STAGES OF EMERGENT WRITING 64
4.8 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPELLING 69
4.8.1 Phases in the development of spelling 69
...........
iv
, Co n t e n t s
4.9 CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH EMERGENT WRITING SKILLS
71
4.10 THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER 71
4.10.1 The teacher’s knowledge 71
4.10.2 The teacher as a leader 72
4.10.3 The reflective teacher 72
4.11 CONCLUSION 73
4.12 QUESTIONS ON UNIT 4 73
STUDY UNIT 5:ASSESSMENT OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN 75
5.1 INTRODUCTION 75
5.2 WHAT IS ASSESSMENT? 76
5.3 WHAT IS EVALUATION? 77
5.3.1 Difference between assessment and evaluation 78
5.4 ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 79
5.4.1 Conditions for undertaking assessment in the classroom 80
5.5 FORMS OF ASSESSMENT 80
5.5.1 Summative assessment 80
5.5.2 Formative assessment 81
5.5.3 Curriculum-based assessment 83
5.6 FOCUS ON PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S ASSESSMENT 84
5.6.1 What is preschool assessment? 84
5.6.2 Why is preschool assessment important? 84
5.6.3 Guidelines on preschool assessment 87
5.7 ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR PRESCHOOLERS 88
5.7.1 Checklists as tools for measuring reading readiness 88
5.7.2 Anecdotal observation forms 92
5.7.3 Daily tasks form 92
5.7.4 Videos and audio recordings 92
5.8 THE ROLE OF THE PRESCHOOL TEACHER 93
5.9 CONCLUSION 94
5.10 QUESTIONS ON THE UNIT 94
BIBLIOGRAPHY 95
...........
v EM L1501/1
EML1501
STUDY
NOTES
, CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE vii
STUDY UNIT 1:AN INTRODUCTORY ORIENTATION TO THE STUDY GUIDE1
1.1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.2 Language as a concept 2
1.3 WHAT IS EMERGENT LITERACY? 4
1.3.1 Explanations of emergent literacy 4
1.4 EMERGENT SPEAKING 5
1.5 LISTENING SKILLS 5
1.5.1 Phonological awareness 6
1.5.2 Vocabulary 6
1.5.3 Narrative skills 6
1.6 EMERGENT WRITING 7
1.6.1 Requirements for the development of writing skills 7
1.7 EMERGENT READING 8
1.7.1 Alphabet Knowledge 8
1.7.2 Print awareness 8
1.7.3 Comprehension 8
1.8 THEORIES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 9
1.8.1 The behaviourist approach to language learning 9
1.8.2 The nativist approach to language learning 9
1.8.3 The cognitive and social approach to language learning 10
1.9 STAGES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION 10
1.9.1 The pre-linguistic stage 10
1.10 THE INFLUENCE OF THE ENVIRONMENT 11
1.10.1 The home environment 12
1.11 THE ROLE OF TEACHERS AND OTHER ADULTS 12
1.11.1 The reflective teacher 12
1.11.2 The teacher as the pedagogical leader 13
1.11.3 Children’s literature 14
1.11.4 The use of developmentally appropriate materials 14
1.11.5 Activity 14
1.11.6 Reflection questions 16
1.12 PLAY AS A PEDAGOGY FOR LANGUAGE LEARNING 16
1.12.1 What is play? 16
1.12.2 Theories about play 16
1.12.3 Types of play 18
1.12.4 Role of play 19
1.13 CONCLUSION 20
1.14 QUESTIONS ON UNIT 1 20
STUDY UNIT 2:Theories of language development 21
2.1 INTRODUCTION 21
2.2 THE MEANING OF LANGUAGE 23
...........
iii EM L1501/1
,CONTENTS
2.3 THE NATURE VERSUS NURTURE THEORETICAL VIEWPOINTS 24
2.3.1 Language as the product of nurture 24
2.3.2 Language as a product of nature 27
2.3.3 Piaget’s cognitive theory of language acquisition 28
2.4 APPLICATION OF THEORIES TO TEACHING 32
2.4.1 The Behaviourist theory for teaching language 32
2.4.2 The Nativist theory for teaching language 33
2.4.3 The Cognitivist theory for teaching language 33
2.4.4 Vygotsky’s theory for teaching language 34
2.5 CONCLUSION 36
2.6 Questions on Unit 2 36
STUDY UNIT 3:EMERGENT READING 38
3.1 INTRODUCTION 38
3.2 LEARNING OUTCOMES 38
3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL PRINT 40
3.4 SCHOOL EXPERIENCES 42
3.5 CHARACTERISATION OF EMERGENT READING 43
3.6 LISTENING AND SPEAKING SKILLS 44
3.7 WHY READ TO CHILDREN? 45
3.7.1 Strategies for reading aloud 45
3.7.2 Activity 48
3.7.3 Reflection 48
3.8 MEDIA USED FOR STORY READING AND STORY TELLING 49
3.8.1 Puppets in storytelling and story reading 49
3.8.2 Flannel board stories 50
3.9 TECHNIQUES FOR READING 50
3.9.1 Shared Reading 50
3.9.2 Independent reading 51
3.10 APPROACHES OF PROMOTING EMERGENT READING 52
3.10.1 Whole word approach or the look and say approach 53
3.10.2 The language experience approach 53
3.10.3 PHONETIC APPROACH 55
3.11 CONCLUSION 57
3.12 SELF-ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS 57
STUDY UNIT 4:EMERGENT WRITING 58
4.1 INTRODUCTION 58
4.2 DEFINITION OF EMERGENT WRITING 60
4.3 PREREQUISITES FOR THE ACQUISITION OF WRITING SKILLS 61
4.3.1 Physical development and writing skills 61
4.4 COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND EMERGENT WRITING 62
4.4.1 Conceptual knowledge and emergent writing. 63
4.4.2 Procedural knowledge 63
4.4.3 Implications for emergent writing 63
4.5 GENERATIVE KNOWLEDGE 64
4.6 ARTISTIC DEVELOPMENT AND EMERGENT WRITING 64
4.6.1 Implications for emergent writing 64
4.7 STAGES OF EMERGENT WRITING 64
4.8 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPELLING 69
4.8.1 Phases in the development of spelling 69
...........
iv
, Co n t e n t s
4.9 CHARACTERISTICS OF CHILDREN WITH EMERGENT WRITING SKILLS
71
4.10 THE ROLE OF THE TEACHER 71
4.10.1 The teacher’s knowledge 71
4.10.2 The teacher as a leader 72
4.10.3 The reflective teacher 72
4.11 CONCLUSION 73
4.12 QUESTIONS ON UNIT 4 73
STUDY UNIT 5:ASSESSMENT OF PRESCHOOL CHILDREN 75
5.1 INTRODUCTION 75
5.2 WHAT IS ASSESSMENT? 76
5.3 WHAT IS EVALUATION? 77
5.3.1 Difference between assessment and evaluation 78
5.4 ASSESSMENT IN THE CLASSROOM 79
5.4.1 Conditions for undertaking assessment in the classroom 80
5.5 FORMS OF ASSESSMENT 80
5.5.1 Summative assessment 80
5.5.2 Formative assessment 81
5.5.3 Curriculum-based assessment 83
5.6 FOCUS ON PRESCHOOL CHILDREN’S ASSESSMENT 84
5.6.1 What is preschool assessment? 84
5.6.2 Why is preschool assessment important? 84
5.6.3 Guidelines on preschool assessment 87
5.7 ASSESSMENT TOOLS FOR PRESCHOOLERS 88
5.7.1 Checklists as tools for measuring reading readiness 88
5.7.2 Anecdotal observation forms 92
5.7.3 Daily tasks form 92
5.7.4 Videos and audio recordings 92
5.8 THE ROLE OF THE PRESCHOOL TEACHER 93
5.9 CONCLUSION 94
5.10 QUESTIONS ON THE UNIT 94
BIBLIOGRAPHY 95
...........
v EM L1501/1
