Supporting Language and Early Literacy:

at Home and in

Early Childhood and Community Settings

Session 6: Infants and Toddlers

Your …

• (insert your name/title here)• Insert your co-presenter’s name/title here)

FACILITATORS

for this Session …

Participants will:• Consider characteristics of infants and toddlers and

the roles adults play in supporting their development

• Explore standards that guide developmental expectations and best practice

• Demonstrate appropriate shared reading strategies for infants and toddlers

• Describe strategies to support language development during routines and playtime

• Discuss strategies for engaging families in language and literacy experiences

GOALS

for Today’s Session AGENDA

Discussion in pairs or small groups:

• What do you already know about infant toddler language and early literacy development?

• What do you hope to learn from today’s session?

Stages of Infancy

Developmental Stage

Chronological Age

Developmental Focus

young infants Birth – 8 or 9 months

security

mobile infants 8 to 18 months exploration

older infants(toddlers)

16 or 18 to 36 months

identity/independence

Source: Caring for Infants and Toddlers in Groups: Developmentally Appropriate Practice, 2nd Ed., ZERO TO THREE, Washington, DC., 2008

Young Infants: Security

• Opportunities for close contact• Limited number of caregivers• Be available and respond

promptly• Bring things of interest to the

infant• Take the infant to interesting

things• Avoid overstimulation

Mobile Infant: Exploration

• Provide a secure base of support• Make the environment safe but

challenging• Create a variety of opportunities

for movement• Get down on the child’s level• Allow children to try things on

their own• Share the joy of children’s

growing competence

9

Older Infant/Toddler: Identify/Independence

• Respect self-assertion and be patient with “no-saying”

• Provide social guidelines• Offer many choices• Support fantasy and creative

expression• Allow for independent and

social experiences• Assist children in their play• Initiate new and exciting

activities10

Wisconsin Standards

11

Who are the standards for?

Birth thru Age 3

4K 5K 1 2 3 4 - 12

Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS)

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (CCSS ELA)

12

Language & Communication

Receptive Language

(Comprehension)Listening & Understanding

Expressive Language

Print concepts; letters & sounds;

appreciation of books;writing

Speaking & Communicating

Early Literacy

Research-based Early Literacy Content Areas

• Oral Language (WMELS A. Listening & Understanding & B. Speaking & Communicating)

• Vocabulary (WMELS A. Listening & Understanding & B. Speaking &

Communicating)

• Phonological Awareness (WMELS C. Early Literacy)

• Alphabet Knowledge (WMELS C. Early Literacy)

• Concepts about Print (WMELS C. Early Literacy)

• Writing (WMELS C. Early Literacy)

Planning and Curriculum GoalsDeciding what should be done to

promote development and what we want children to learn.

• Needs Identification & Prioritization• Planning (Strategy/Indicators)

ImplementationProviding meaningful,

experiential activities that support individual and group goals guided by supportive

interaction and relationships.

AssessmentGathering information to determine what the child

can do and what the child is ready to learn. • Data Collection

• Data Analysis

WISCONSIN MODEL EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS

Teaching Cycle

Early literacy – a table with four legsACTIVITY

Listening

Speaking communicating

Reading

Writing

What does literacy mean for infants and toddlers?

Center for the Developing Child - Harvard University

Typical infant –toddler communication

1. Nonverbal• Actions/behavior• Eye gaze and facial expression• Gestures/pointing

2. Verbal• Sounds – coos, cries, babbling• Single words• Combinations of words

General language support mobile infants - toddlers

• Keep your sentences simple • Speak slowly • Don’t require maintained eye contact ; a glance is OK• PLAY. Child leads, you follow • COMMENT on what is happening • Model how to talk about actions & objects • Model how to problem-solve • Let the child talk (OK to sit and listen/observe sometimes)

Source: Sippl, T. Coaching Parents to Foster Their Child’s Expressive Language Skills, American Speech & Hearing Association, 2013http://blog.asha.org/2013/11/05/coaching-parents-to-foster-their-childs-expressive-language-skills

General vocabulary building support

• NARRATE children’s activities (describe what the child is doing while s/he is doing it)

• Repeat & Expand on child’s language (Child: “Dog.” Adult: “Yes, it is a dog. He is a big, red

dog.”)

• Use new words that connect to words the child already knows/uses.

(Child: “Big dog.” Adult: “Yes, it is a big dog. Another word for “big” is “enormous”; that is an enormous dog!”)

Typical Stages of CommunicationStages & Ages Child Example Adult Support

Birth – 8 months “Discoverer”

Moves from reflexive communication to interest in others; wants attention; figuring out how to send messages

Good observer, interpreter, and responder to child’s attempts and needs

8-13 months“Communicator”

Sends purposeful messages -sounds, actions, gestures

Develop “shared attention” – provide words for people, actions, objects

12-18 months“First Words User”

Sends purposeful messages – single words begin to communicate intent/needs; receptive skills escalate (understanding)

Listen attentively; use simple sentences; ask simple questions for conversational turn taking

18-24 months“Combiner”

Burst in number of words used; puts 2 words together; can take turns talking

Provide many new words; model expanded language; engage in conversational turn taking

2-3 years“Early Sentence

User”

Puts words together to form sentences; tells simple stories; holds conversations

Follow child’s lead in conversations; ask questions; listen attentively

Source: Weitzman, E. & Greenberg, J. Learning Language and Loving It, 2nd Ed., Hanen Centre, Toronto, CAN, 2002

Strategies to support communicationActivity!

• Caregiving Routines

• Planned Activities• Interactions

During Play

Using books during playtime

Best Practices: Reading to Infants & Toddlers(3:16)

Sharing books to build language & literacy

Shared Reading is a strategy where “the

adult involves a child or small group of children

in reading a book …”

National Center for Family Literacy, 2009

American Academy of Pediatrics (APP)Policy Statement

“The AAP recommends that pediatric providers promote early literacy development … beginning in infancy … by … advising all parents that reading aloud with young children can enhance parent-child relationships and prepare young minds to learn language and early literacy skills; (2) counseling all parents about developmentally appropriate shared-reading activities …”

Literacy Promotion: An Essential Component of Primary Care Pediatric Practice, p.1, originally published online 6/23/2014 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2014/06/19/peds.2014-1384.full.pdf+html

Selecting books for infants (birth-12 months)

• Cardboard, vinyl, or cloth books• Bold and contrasting colors• Shapes and geometric patterns • Simple pictures of people, animals, or

common objects • Shiny or textured pages – furry, rough,

smooth, ridges, etc. (“tactile” books)

Source: http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-language-literacy/choosing-books.html

Books for older infants & toddlers (12-24 months)

• Sturdy books; some with paper pages• Pictures of children engaged in familiar activities• Simple nursery rhymes• Books with predictable text • Story books for bed time• A few words on each page • Colorful illustrations• Tactile books• Animal books

Source: http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-language-literacy/

Books for older toddlers (24-36 Months )

• Stories with simple plots• Animal books• Transportation books• Simple rhyming books• Books about counting & numbers, alphabet,

shapes, sizes• Pop-up, and touch-and-feel “tactile” books• Books with humorous pictures and wordsSource: http://www.zerotothree.org/early-care-education/early-language-literacy/choosing-books.html

Shared Reading Strategies

• Know child’s interests. Follow the child’s lead when looking at a book together

• Ask questions. What/how/why questions; open ended questions that require more than a one-word answer. “Can you tell me about …?”

• Answer if the child does not know the answer, but WAIT/Give the child time to respond (count to 10 in your head or wait 5 seconds minimum)

• Repeat child’s answer and add more words. (Child: “Horse.” Adult: “Yes, horse. It’s a big brown horse.”)

• Ask another question• Show your enthusiasm – offer encouragement

Dale, P., Crain-Thoreson, C., Notari-Syverson, A., & Cole, K. (1996). Parent-child storybook reading as an intervention technique for young children with language delays. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 16, 213-235Language is the Key, 2010 http://www.walearning.com/products/language-is-the-key/research-and-references/

C-A-R StrategyComment – Ask questions - Respond

COMMENT on picture in book WAIT (at least 5 seconds) for child to respond ASK an open-ended question WAIT … RESPOND to child’s utterance and expand it WAIT … Repeat process

Dale, P., Crain-Thoreson, C., Notari-Syverson, A., & Cole, K. (1996). Parent-child storybook reading as an intervention technique for young children with language delays. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 16, 213-235

Language is the Key, 2010 http://www.walearning.com/products/language-is-the-key/research-and-references/

Activity!

Mom sharing a book with her toddler (3:57 min.)

Thoughts on Shared Reading

Sometimes it’s OKAY to JUST ENJOY a good book!

• Don’t over teach. Keep it fun!• Good to re-read the same book multiple times

Its vital that we build motivation and interestin literacy experiences

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7NXh3SqChs(56 seconds)

Double Focus!

Highly effective teachers and caregivers… provide daily, intentional language and early literacy learning opportunities for the children they serve, and … engage families in providing daily, intentional language and early literacy learning opportunities for their own children!

Winton, P.J., McCollum, J.A., & Catlett, C. Practical Approaches to Early Childhood Professional Development: Evidence,

Strategies, & Resources. Zero to Three, Washington, DC., 2008

Wrap-up

• Share a new concept or specific strategy you learned that you will use.

• What questions do you still have about supporting language and early literacy?