The Development of Early Literacy - Essay Example

Developing Early Literacy The Development of Early Literacy Introduction The essay investigates the relationship between oracy and literacy by incorporating the role of books and shared stories during child learning and development. Besides, literacy is the ability to read and write while oracy is the expression of oneself through spoken language. Moreover, the essay focuses and evaluates how language and literacy develop through books and shared stories as it extends to childrens development and learning. During the development of children, it is important they understand language and literacy as communicative tools through reading books and sharing stories. Notably, learning of oracy and literature skills during child development is necessary since it enhances a child ability to communicate fluently and increase their knowledge base concerning various survival skills (Johnston 2005, p.1). Language Development in the Childhood Stage The first 3 years constitute the most development in a child. During that time, there is an impressive development of the brain. It is also a significant period for child development because it is when the child acquires language skills and speech (Hirsh 2006, p. 11). Moreover, the development of language in a child is best when the environment is full of sights, sounds and consistent exposure to expressions and various languages. However, they seem to be different periods for young children to develop language and speech especially in infants. It may be considered that language development in children is best when the brain can master different communicated words. Snow (2004) suggests that the different periods that children face during their development need to be taken critically since the passing of these years without full exposure to different languages may cause difficulties in future during a child development stages. Children effectively develop and learn different languages at certain periods of development as observed by Snow et al (2005, p.23). Consequently, the sessions need to find the brain of a child mature enough to absorb different communicated words. It is evident that the development of a child at 3 years gives ample time for the brain to absorb oral and literature aspects during communication (Lindsay & Dockrell 2003, p.47). Moreover, the reading of different books and shared stories can only be best disgusted by a child’s brain, when all forms of brain aspects are fully mature within a Childss brain. It gives an opportunity for the child to develop adequately in the language during the childhood stage. Besides, the first signs of language development in a child are when a he or she cries for comfort, food, and companionship. That communicates signs of language recognition to a child and therefore attracts speech development and later literature after the brain is mature enough to absorb different communicated languages (Middleton 2012, p. 22). Consequently, the process of language development begins when newborns recognize vital sounds within their environment such as their mothers’ voice or caretaker during their development. Recognition of different sounds is the primary stages during child development that gives them an opportunity for brain development and oral speeches later as they develop in their environment. It enables for the quick read of books and other stories after full development of the brain since the brain matures enough to interpret information from the books to the internalize information in the mind. In practice, these are the milestones for speech and language development for childhood stages. There are several theoretical approaches that explain how children learn how to speak in understanding different languages. However, no one theory explains the whole language development process; hence, valuable insights are gained by examining several main theoretical approaches. Nativist Theory on the Learning of Language Development in Children Nativist argues that children mature an inborn desire to make sense in the world. This is through their nature drive in attending to the spoken word and some sort of meanings within their environment during child development. Besides, children use language as a way of making sense to the world as they communicate through different gestures until their brain matures to literature interruption (Beck, McKeown & Kucan 2002, p. 21). Nativist theory of learning language in children incorporates the ability of children to have a self-drive in attending to various spoken words that they learn within their environment and an inborn desire to make sense in the world to their development. Moreover, there is an inborn language attainment device located somewhere in the brain which facilitates language development. This is because young children learn various languages with less effort and lack the mental ability of analyzing structures and rules of language logically. This makes language development in children to take a slower pace, can only be activated, and made quicker through learning oracy skills and literature during children development. Besides, the reading of books and shared stories during children development allows them to mature their brain literature interruption and understanding faster to enable for quick ability of the analysis of structures during reading and literature break. According to social learning theory, children have the desire to learn without any significant difficulty. Moreover, social learning theory illustrates that children imitate words and language patterns through watching and listening to different models within their environment during their development (Snow & Páez 2004, p.33). They tend to concentrate on different models to enable them capture different sounds and watch the patterns of behaviors within their environment through listening to various activities during their development. The theory suggests that children imitate these sounds and learn the necessary language patterns through watching their family members and caregivers, who spend most of the time with them during their development. Additionally, children repeat these sounds rewarded with praise and smiles while they drop out unrepeated sounds (Lloyd-Jones 2003, p. 1). The unrepeated words are dropped out because they do not contribute significantly to the language development of children. Moreover, the lost words are not necessary for language development of children since the phrase do not add up to moral language development of the children. Social theory maintains that the learning of language development of children needs to concentrate on the desire and imitation of words and language patterns. Williams and Roberts (2011) suggest that learning of these words during language development involves watching and listening to various models to increase the intensity of captured patterns of sound within the brains of children. Furthermore, language development among children incorporates practicing oracy and literature aspects together with practicing imitation of words and watching to different activities within the children environment as suggested by social learning theory. Additionally, reading of books and shared stories among children assists in internalizing different ideas and concepts that children learn during their development through watching and listening to various activities within the environment. Therefore, social learning theory during language development of children allows for efficient language development among children. The Relationship between Oracy and Literature Development Oracy entail ability to incorporate language orally for academic purposes, while literature involves knowledge in reading and writing. It incorporates participation of the speaker in discussing and arguing points, persuading and summarizing different skills orally and literally. Majority of children acquire skills of oracy and literature development around the age five, through acting out a play and taking different roles of another, adapting various voices of various characters (Westby 2008, p.1). The setting of the scene without realistic props considers as part of oracy. Besides, the relationship between oracy and literature development has been investigated over the last 200 years. The research entails the development of young children language and speech, through reading and writing of books and shared stories in learning language development among children. Moreover, schools proposed hypotheses that identified the language as the primary central aspect of human development. The hypotheses incorporated relationships of oracy and literature development, as an essential element in a child language learning development. The relationship between oracy and literature development assists in the development of language in children as it emphasizes on language and speech of young children. Besides, oracy and literature development focuses on the importance of language development in a Childs intellectual and social development during language development (National Early Literacy Panel 2009, p. 1). Additionally, an oracy and literature relationship during child language learning develops an upsurge interest around children language. Some theorists argue that language development through oracy and literature develops predominantly in a child approximations and limitation of parent and career verbal forms. Therefore, parents play a critical role in a child oracy and literature development, as they tend to limit the approximations of a child learning language development. This suggest that a child language development through oracy and literature need to engage parents who are pursing different careers, to enable children learn more different skills in oracy and literature relationships, within the various careers facilitating language development (Barton & Tusting 2005, p.32). Phonological awareness and oracy entail oral language learning component most seen at the classroom level (Kamhi 2004, p. 16). Furthermore, children with specific language impairment (SLI) together with children with significantly delayed language are not allowed to enter school without appropriate skills in oral language development. Additionally, under an education setting, children with SLI have problems with language relations according to the children abilities in learning and hearing abilities as brain pathology. This affects the ability of children and their parents to learn appropriately oracy and literature skills that assists in language development among them during their early literacy development (Roberts & Kaiser 2011, p.24). Consequently, children with SLI consist of approximately 3-7% of school-aged population, which reduces the number of children who go to school to learn oracy and literature skills as a language development factor. According to Bishop (2012), Children with SLI difficulties have significant language delays that result in sensory and environmental disadvantage promoting oral language at levels significantly above child comprehension and vocabulary ability. This does not allow children to achieve good literacy outcomes since majority lack sufficient knowledge in literature skills and oral abilities. The relationship between oracy and literature development during children language learning abilities are, hindered by aspects of SLI, which controls the level of vocabulary and comprehension abilities of children (Barton & Tusting,2005,p.22). However, the problem is managed by engaging different skills such reading of books and shared stories to assists in developing more ideas and knowledge within the brain that generates mental alertness and sensitivity to enable in understanding various aspects of oracy and enhance literature effectiveness among developing children learning languages and speech (American Federation of Teachers, 2004, p. 4). In understanding oracy and literature development while learning the language development among children, different effects take place. One of the effects that occur in early language learning is the Matthew effect, which begins to take hold of children in early literacy development (Holloway & Jefferson, 2002, p. 28). Additionally, Matthew effect has significant influence on children who know many words and possess background knowledge in comprehending the meaning of more words and world knowledge later. On the other hand, children who know few words in the early grades fall further behind in their grades. Rigney (2010) argues that Matthew effect influences oracy and literature relationships among children during their language learning development depending on the amount of words that children are able to comprehend during learning as they grow to different grades. However, the reading of books and shared stories during learning and development of children, increases children vocabulary and language development and hence adding the number of words in children speech having a positive result of Matthew effect. Therefore, in understanding the relationship between oracy and literature development in learning language development among children, oracy skills develops through acting of plays and adopting different voices of characters among other activities. On the other hand, literature skills develop through reading and writing among children, which gives them an opportunity to intensify their literature ability effectively (Aubrey 2002, p.12). The Reading of Books and Shared Stories in Developing Early Literacy Reading to children has a positive and long lasting impact to the emergent of literacy development (Humphrey 2003, p. 17). Moreover, parents’ engagements with their kids in shared readings contribute in promoting the way literacy develops and increases learning abilities of children during their development (Pepper & Weitzman, 2004, p. 12). Additionally, the use of web sites, books, parent magazines and academic professional journals assist and advise parents to read these materials to their children since it increases their knowledge on literacy issues significantly (Roberts & Kaiser, 2011, p.1). According to the National Reading Panel (2000), reading allows to babies and children have an impact on their future learning and overall development. Moreover, stories assist children to cope with different feelings and situations during their language-learning period. Additionally, through reading of books and shared stories children are able to learn about numbers and develop imaginations without any teachings, hence allowing for the development of early literacy skills among children (National Reading Panel 2000.p.1). Conclusion Early literacy development among children involves understanding the relations of oracy and literature development through the reading of books and shared stories. Children acquire skills and knowledge through speech that they imitate in plays or reading of books with their parents hence giving them an opportunity to learn and understand different literature skills. Finally, understanding the relationships between oracy and literature skills together with reading of books and shared stories generates and develops high chances for children to develop effective literacy skills during their development. Bibliography Pepper, J & Weitzman, 2004, It Takes Two to Talk: A Practical Guide for Parents of Children with Language Delays. The Hanen Centre. Toronto. Rigney, D, 2010, The Matthew Effect – How Advantage begets further advantage. Columbia University Press. New York. Roberts, M., & Kaiser, A, 2011, the Effectiveness of Parent Implemented Language Intervention: A Meta-Analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 20, 180-199. Snow, C. E, 2004, what counts as literacy in early childhood? In K. McCartney & D. 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