Enhancing Preschool Literacy Skills with Software and Internet Technologies Julie Coiro University of Connecticut [email protected]

Enhancing Preschool Literacy Skills with

Software and Internet Technologies

Julie CoiroUniversity of Connecticut

[email protected]

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are needed to see this picture.

Growing up in a digital world…

while learning how to participate and contribute in literate ways.

The Current Climate

In 2003, 67% of children in nursery school and 80% in kindergarten used the computer

Also, 1/4 (23%) of children in nursery school and 1/3 (32%) in kindergarten used the Internet

By high school, nearly all students (97%) used computers, and a majority (80%) used the Internet.

-- (NCES, 2005)

The Current Climate"Computers …open new and unforeseen

avenues for learning” (Douglas Clements, 2001)

“Computers are redefining how we interact with others and how we gain knowledge about the world around us…and they are increasingly important in our daily lives.” (Mark Ginsburg, Executive Director, NAEYC, 2001).

The Current Climate

“Global calls are being made for ICT to be understood as a multifunctional tool for Early Learning that is used to introduce and support, but not replace, real life experiences and physical activities” (IBM Kidsmart, 2004).



The Current Research Climate

There are many opinions but few recent facts about the impact of technology use on preschoolers (Skeele & Stefankiewicz, 2002).

In an effort to review, replicate, and extend National Reading Panel Subcommittee Report on Technology, we found only 10 studies from 1986-2002 involving preschoolers and literacy that met even our extended criteria. The real potential depended upon the teacher’s ability to make appropriate decisions about design, social interaction, and individual differences (Coiro et al., 2003).

The Current Research Climate

Systematic, empirically grounded research that focuses on new technologies and early literacy, particularly outside the United States, is extremely limited (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003).

Research to determine the long-term effects of computer use on young children is desperately needed (Future of Children, David & Lucille Packard Foundation, 2001).



What do we know from research?

What is developmentally appropriate for preschoolers?

What are the benefits of preschool technology use?

How do these benefits map onto early language and literacy development?

How might the Internet impact early language and literacy learning in a preschool classroom?

Where should research be headed next?

#1: What are developmentally

appropriate literacy practices for

preschoolers?

Five areas of children’s development

Physical well-being & fine/gross motor skills Social and emotional developmentMotivation and engagementLanguage developmentGeneral knowledge and cognition

-- National Education Goals Panel

Young children learn through…

Play and explorationSocial interaction with adults and

other childrenA “need to know”

-- Northwest Educational Technology

Consortium (2003)

Technology in children’s play should enable children to …

Discharge or restore personal energy while engaged in something interesting

Act out and explore roles and rules for adultsGain a sense of control Experience new learning in a relaxed atmosphereDevelop sense of self and relations to others through

group work, collaboration, and competitionExplore abstract or symbolic meanings

-- Verenikina, Harris, & Lysaght (2003) Play, technology, and children’s development

Emergent Literacy Learning

Emergent Literacy is“the belief that preschoolers must observe and be engaged in literacy-related activities in which reading and writing is used to accomplish real goals”

“Scribbling and invented spelling = real reading”

--- Teale & Sulzby, 1989

Reading and Writing

Listening to stories Playing rhyming gamesMatching lettersExploring print and its messagesActively constructing their learning

-- International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 1998

Good literacy instruction provides opportunities for ...

Creatively responding to texts or topicsPractice & reinforcement with important skills Referencing multimedia sources of informationApplying literacy in authentic environmentsExploring new forms and purposes for reading

and writing

Good computer technologies should provide these too!

#2: What are the benefits of preschool

technology use?

#3: How do these map onto early

language and literacy development?



Preschool Literacy Needs

Oral language developmentConcepts of print and phonological awarenessVocabulary and background knowledgeExploration and playLogic, Critical Thinking, and Problem SolvingSocial Interaction with OthersConnecting Reading and Writing

Impact of computer use on oral language development

Computers can serve as catalysts for social interaction, cooperation and conversations related to children’s work (Clements, Nastasi, & Swaminathan, 1993; Nastasi, 1993).

Computer play encourages longer, more complex speech and the development of fluency (Davidson & Wright, 1994).

Children tend to narrate what they are doing as they draw pictures or more objects and characters on the screen (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).

Computer use fosters greater language production (increased number of spoken words a minute), number of foreign language words learned, and amount of communication to teach other students (Pierce, 1994).

Oral Language Development

Leap Into Nursery Rhymes (Leap into Learning) Options to record your own voice and play back

Play with nursery rhymes and songs

Good modeled reading aloud for enjoyment

Options to record your own voice and play back

Exploring the connections between oral language and print

Encourage book conversations, dramatic play, and personal responses (paired with drawing, taking pictures, singing, and storytelling)

Oral Language and Creative RespondingKID PIX

STUDIO

(painting and animation tools, slide

show maker, text tools, stamps)

Research shows that…Children talk, draw and write more

with a partner and open-ended software.

Concepts of Print and Phonological Awareness

Opportunity to explore print in many forms and begin to notice functions and patterns when interacting with print

Awareness of title, author, direction, print tells story, individual words and letters

Explore auditory skill awareness of words, rhymes, syllables, and individual letter sounds.

Impact of preschool computer use on concepts of print, phonological

awareness, and phonics Research in this area is not as rich or current and many

studies show no difference compared to control group or suggest that teachers make the difference rather than one program or another (Coiro et al., 2003).

Specific reading skills, particularly school language and rhyming, can be taught using drill and practice software (Gore, Morris, Mass, & Anderson, 1989).

Computer use positively impacted early literacy skills such as letter naming, beginning word recognition, and interpreting symbols, letters, and words (Pierce, 1994).

Impact of preschool computer use on concepts of print, phonological

awareness, and phonics Preschoolers in Holland increased blending skills and carried

over their skills to foster decoding proficiency in Grade 1 (Reitsma & Wesseling, 1998).

Autistic preschoolers in the U.S. increased time on task and ability to read and match words compared to those in control group (Williams, Writing, Callaghan, & Coughlan, 2002).

Special education preschoolers in Israel increased skills in phonological awareness, letter naming, and word recognition (Mioduser, Tur-Kaspa, & Leitner, 2000).


LEAP INTO NURSERY RHYMESby Leap

Into Learning

Level 2 Hearing syllables

Level 3

Hearing sounds

Concepts of Print

Living Books, Little Monster Goes to School, by Broderbund


BAILEY’S BOOK HOUSE

by Edmark

Impact of computer use on preschooler’s vocabulary and

background knowledge

Another area with less amount of work done - possibly due to other priorities.

3 and 4 year olds who used computers with supporting activities had significantly greater gains in intelligence, verbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, and conceptual skills (Haughland, 1992).

Vocabulary and Background Knowledge

LET’S EXPLORE

THE JUNGLE

by Humongous Entertainment


Let’s Explore The Jungle, by Humongous Entertainment


Let’s Explore The Jungle, by Humongous Entertainment


TRAVEL THE

WORLD WITH

TIMMY, DELUXE

by Edmark

Impact of preschool computer use on exploration and play

Computers provide a private place for children to practice without fear of public failure (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).

Computers allow young children to represent, manipulate, and act on variables not possible in the physical world (Clements, 1998; Seng, 1998).

Computers provide a different source of “multisensory / multimedia experiences” that can enhance, extend, and augment a child’s learning experience (Thovenelle & Bewick, 2003).

The teacher’s role is to create an environment that fosters awareness and exploration and then support as appropriate (Davidson & Wright, 1994).

Tools for authentic exploration of pictures, letters, words and sounds

STANLEY’S STORY

STICKERSby Edmark

Also THEME WEAVERS

for Animals by Edmark

Exploring and responding with personal creativity tools

KID PIX STUDIO

Logic, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

Opportunities to solve problems in authentic contexts that are safe, supportive, and challenging.

Explore environments with little or no text to practice and build other strategies.

I Spy, Jr. Pajama Sam

Maze Madness

Impact of Computer Use on Logic, Critical Thinking, and

Problem SolvingTechnology offers multiple ways to solve a problem

and multiple paths to a goal (Clements, 1999).Computer use helped children to…

move from concrete to symbolic representational thought (Pierce, 1994);

to show more sophistication in classification and logical thinking (Clements & Nastasi, 1993) and;

Improve their spatial problem solving, logical problem solving, concentration, and memory (Haughland, 1992).

Logic, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving

I SPY Jr.

by Scholastic New Media

Form new lists, sort pictures


Putt-Putt, Pajama Sam

and Freddi Fish



Freddi Fish’ Maze

Madness


Create your own mazes and then play in them!


Logical Journey of

the Zoombinis

by Broderbund

logic and pattern recognition


Thinkin’ Things I, II,

and III

by Edmark

patterns in music, art, and space

Impact of Preschool Computer Use on Social Interaction

Computers contribute to social development (NAEYC, 1996) as children share leadership roles and initiate interactions more frequently (Clements, 1994; Haughland & Wright, 1997)

Compared to more traditional activities, such as puzzle assembly or block building, the computer elicits more social interaction and different types of interaction (Clements, Nastasi, & Swaminathan, 1993).

Impact of Preschool Computer Use on Social Interaction

Computers are more effective when used in classrooms and connected to authentic daily learning activities compared to computer lab (Davis & Shade, 1999).

A well-designed computer center can promote almost as much social interaction as dramatic play and for some children it offers a unique medium that taps their ability to creatively collaborate with their peers (Anderson, Hilton, & Wouden-Miller, in press)

For many children, the computer is a catalyst for information sharing, language development, and decision making (Wright, 1994; Sarama & Clements, 2001; Fischer & Gillespie, 2003).

Interacting With Others

Pajama Sam; Putt-Putt

Let’s Explore the Jungle



Social interaction with peers and multi-age groups…

…social interactions with teachers and parents.

Impact of Preschool Computer Use on Connecting

Reading and Writing

Word processing encourages writing and motivation to improve writing skills (Clements & Nastasi, 1993).

A word processor provides scaffolding (Clements & Nastasi, 1993); allows children to compose and revise text without being distracted by the fine motor aspects of letter formation (Davis & Shade, 1994);

Connecting Reading and WritingRespect that some children consider

drawings to be actual writing & others will respond with a clear message or story

Practice writing with real, authentic and age-appropriate print-related experiences

Need time to observe, explore and experiment with writing)

Kid Works Deluxe Kid Pix Studio Digital Cameras

Connecting Reading and Writing

KID WORKS DELUXE

(text to speech, book maker,

painting tools, text tools, stamps)

Kid Works Deluxe (2).lnk

C:\KWDELUXE\KW3WIN.ICO

Connecting Reading and Writing

KID PIX STUDIO

Create patterns, label with beginning

letters, or write a

sentence.

Using Digital

Cameras to Connect

Reading and Writing

Other Handy Tools

Alphasmart 3000 Drawing Tablet

Color printerScanner

Kiddy Mouse

Trackball?

Children’skeyboard?

#4: How might the Internet impact early

language and literacy learning in a

preschool classroom?



Http://www.enchantedlearning.com

Explore new Internet literacies What is a hyperlink?

Make a Father’s Day card

Read a daffodil rhyme

Color-by-number daisies

Click on D

Explore new Internet literacies:Interactivity

Online puzzles Concentration Games

Individualized guidance

Read-Aloud StoriesHear new sounds

See a movie

Design and send an e-card to a relative

Import a digital photo and play on online puzzle with it

Internet Workshop Activities

www.jigzone.com

Draw a question from the Internet

Inquiry Basket

Join an Internet Project

We Know Why Alexander Wanted to Move to Australia!!!

Alex’s Scribbles Internet Writing

Click here

http://www.scribbles.com.au/max/

So where do we go from here??

Expanding programs of research: Preschoolers and ICT

IBM Kidsmart Early Learning Program (1998-current) 117+ settings, 7 countries

[France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, UK, and U.S.]

As long as there is appropriate software, teachers with a positive attitude, an environment which facilitates social interaction, accessibility, and equal opportunity, computers can have a positive impact on the learning environment in an early childhood centre.


Children of the New Millennium Project (Susan Hill, 2004) focuses on new and print-based literacies. The curriculum is inquiry based, child-initiated, social, collaborative, and connected between home and school.

“The learning in these projects comes from questions, puzzles, or the interests of young children….Teachers were bowled over by what they found about preschool children’s new learning [with the Internet]”.


Young Children and Learning Technologies International Federation for Information Processing Working Group 3.5 Open Conference. Sydney, Australia, July 2003 (Wright, McDougall, Nurnane, & Lowe)

Over 40 research projects with preschool children and their teachers as they explore new information and communication technologies (ICT).

http://crpit.com/Vol34.html





Early Years ICT in Scotland (2003)They note the scarcity of quality research findings

and their work generated many more questions than answers -- “There are generalized claims about the positive impact of ICT without any evidence of measured impact being offered”.

The impact of preschool use of ICT depends on how teachers use ICT and interact with children to maximize the opportunities available.

Research Into PracticePlease refer to your handouts for ideas about…

Research highlights and references Matching software to preschool literacy needs NETS PreK-2 Technology Performance Indicators Ten tips for previewing educational software Ideas for using digital photographs in the classroom Thematic applications of Kid Pix Drawing Tools Classroom Management Ideas Internet Project, Internet Inquiry, and Internet Resources

Thank you! Julie Coiro ([email protected])

Documents

Enhancing Preschool Literacy Skills with Software and Internet Technologies Julie Coiro University of Connecticut [email protected]