Week 9 Reading

Week 9

23 October 2013

Reading 

Tags: Numeracy development, literacy development, language acquisition, analogical reasoning, spatial awareness.

What?

The two readings I chose to look at this week were ‘Talk to me, Baby! Supporting Language Development in the First 3 Years’ and ‘Promoting the Development of Young Children’s Mathematical and Analogical Reasoning’. These two readings link very closely together as they both discuss the development of early literacy and numeracy in young children. I found these two readings to be very interesting and took some important points from it for future reference.

So What?

Literacy

I want to start this reading by sharing with you a quote I found in the reading by the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine. “Almost all children learn to talk, suggesting that language acquisition is a relatively resilient process, although they do not all learn to talk well, suggesting that language acquisition includes some more fragile elements” (2000, p.16, as cited in Baridge & Baridge, 2008). This shows just how important language acquisition is. Baridge and Baridge (2008) points out that an unborn child starts to hear his mother’s voice in the last trimester of pregnancy and also becomes acquainted with the sound patterns of language. Furthermore, through crying, body movement, eye contact and facial expressions young infants communicate with their parents and caregivers (Baridge and Baridge, 2008).

Numeracy

When children engage in important mathematical activities it is called a ‘challenge’ approach according to English (2004). She continues by saying that this perspective reflects the belief that young children “can learn, enjoy learning, do not need to be made ready to learn, and should learn a great deal more challenging mathematics” (Ginsberg et al., 2001, as cited in English, 2004). English (2004) provides a great example by saying that we see young children using wooden blocks for hours trying to build a castle, city, roads etc., and as educators we need to ensure that this same enthusiasm in mastering mathematical task continue onto more formal schooling years. Number, number sense, spatial awareness, patterning, logical relations, measurement, early algebra and data analysis have all been classified as key components in young children’s numeracy growth (English, 2004). We need to ensure that all learning experiences that focus on these key components are not only enjoyable and meaningful, but should also direct and focus children’s thinking on the mathematical ideas.

Now What?

Literacy

In supporting early language development we need to always keep in mind that everybody matters. Baridge and Baridge (2008) states that book reading is one of the best ways in teaching babies, toddlers and children about language. They continue by saying a book can be used in so many ways, even if you just point to the pictures and tell them your own story or by making noises that match the pictures, books always provide interesting things to talk about. Infants tune in to the rhythm of literacy language and enjoy seeing pictures of other babies or familiar objects. Toddlers like to get involved – by pointing to the pictures, naming the different objects and making different sounds. Furthermore, by reading to children who have already developed putting words together, book reading introduces rich and new vocabulary.

Numeracy

It is important to provide children with resources such as wooden blocks, material, linking cubes, shapes and miscellaneous items. This can be then used to allow children to explore and communicate different mathematical experiences. However, for mathematical resources to be effective learning material, children must have access to them. It might seem that many of the mathematical materials that children experience with have little mathematical meaning however these materials feature essential relationships and properties that can mirror mathematical concepts and properties (English, 2004).

Reference list

Bardige, B. & Bardige, M. (2008). Talk to me, baby! Supporting language development in the first 3 years. Zero to Three, September, 4-10. 

English, L. D. (2004). Promoting the development of young children’s mathematical and analogical reasoning. In L. D. English (Ed.),Mathematical and analogical reasoning of young learners (201-214). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.