Oral Language and Early Literacy

Oral Language and Early Literacy

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Oral Language and Early Literacy

In your own words, explain the connection between oral language and early literacy, including specific skills and knowledge that children develop as they expand their speaking and listening vocabularies. Cite specific Learning Resources from this week to substantiate your thinking

The connection between oral literature and oral language is that both of them are learned through socialization. This means that when a child is socializing with his parents and his friends in the playing ground he learns both the language and the literacy. He gains literacy by capturing the new words learnt and their meaning. Another connection to be noted is that both oral language and early literacy are learnt from the time of infancy and onwards. This is because one continues to learn new vocabularies every time and their meaning. All this takes planning and action over a long or short period of time (Roskos, Tabors & Lenhart, 2009).

Children learn different kinds of skills as they are expanding their speaking and listening vocabularies. One of the skills they may learn is the skill of writing. This is where as they are learning how to speak that language, they also gain the skill of writing that language. Another skill that helps the child while he is learning to expand speaking and listening vocabularies is the skill of rhythm. The child can even learn how to sing a song as he is expanding his vocabularies in both listening and speaking (Cohen & Cowan, 2007).

What is the purpose and value of long- and short-term planning for oral language development?

            When we plan long-term and short-term for oral language development, there are several benefits, which accrue to both the teacher and the child. For the children, they are able to learn their vocabulary quickly. In the long-term planning, the child’s objectives are met over a period. This means that the child will be able to have covered a certain skills over period and it ensures that the child is not left behind in learning (Roskos et al., 2009). The short term planning helps the child in the day-to-day activities, which he performs so that he can achieve the long-term planning objectives. This short term routines will make the child learn faster and acquire the necessary skills easily.

This long term planning and short term planning will help the teacher in planning the objectives of the kinds as stated in the policies of the state, that is, the English Language Learners (ELLs)(Colorin Colorado, 2011). However, this does not mean that the teachers have to become stricter since the children would not be able to learn. It means that the teachers will have to plan how they will achieve the objectives of the child. In long term planning, the teachers will be able to plan for the main objectives, which a child is expected to have attained over a certain period. In short term planning, the teachers will be able to keep on checking on a daily basis whether the children are gaining any skills.

Summarize the strategies that support children’s oral language development. Choose one strategy you would introduce to families and explain how to guide a parent in using it with a preschool-age child.

They are three main strategies, which support the child in oral language. These strategies clarify-extend, question-tell and think- aloud. The first one, clarify-extend, is when an adult listens to a child’s idea and then tries to explain to a child in an easier way incase there is confusion and then tries to expand on that topic further. The second one, question-tell, is where an adult formulates a question for the child and let him answer or the child asks the adult a question and then he answers. Additionally, it can be where the adult involves the child in an activity and as they are conversing, he can try to make it as more interesting and fun as possible. Lastly, think-aloud is when the adult involves a child in his thoughts and try to make the child understand why he is doing it (Roskos et al., 2009).

.           The second strategy, question-tell, is the most advisable for parents to use at home because he is able to interact with his child and at the same time, he is teaching the child something new that he had not learnt. This also helps the parent to know the child more on what he is thinking and where he has a problem. The parents should administer this when they have free time with the child, that is, when the child has come from school. The parent should ask the child what he has learnt from school and try to explain where the child does not understand and the parent should expand his meaning further. As the parent is doing this, he should try to make it as interesting as possible.

References

Cohen V. L. & Cowan J. E. (2007). Literacy for Children in an Information Age: Teaching Reading, Writing, and Thinking. Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.

Colin Colorado, (2011). Special Education and English Language Leaners. Retrieved from http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/special_education

Roskos K, Tabors O. P & Lenhart L. A. (2009). Oral language and early literacy in preschool: talking, reading, and writing. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.