Communication, language and literacy from birth to five

Key of Icons

About the Authors

Acknowledgements

How to Use This Book

1. Early Language Development

Key elements in effective practice

An exciting journey

Babies' communication

A year's development at nursery - Miranda's case study

The learning journey

2. Babies Are Clever

Babies are thinkers

Brain development in the early years

Schemas

Babies are imitators

Babies and dads

Babies are communicators

Babies enjoy massage

Babies signing

Twins

Environments for babies

Babies love stories, songs and rhymes

Babies and books

Bookstart - modelling books with babies

Babies visit libraries

Babies are readers

Watching television, videos and DVDs

Babies are socialites

Parents as partners

3. Children's Needs: Diversity and Identity

Supporting children, families and communities

Social context and language learning - the role of the adult

Language learning through play

Supporting bilingualism

Code switching

Bilingualism in Wales

Supporting bilingual children in educational settings

Supporting bilingualism at home

Gender and identity

Promoting self-esteem and positive behaviour through language

Communication difficulties

Supporting special educational needs

4. Getting Young Children Talking in Early Years Settings

Getting children to start conversations

Prompting children's talk

How we use questions

Pausing: let the silence do the work!

Changing the adult's role: from director to facilitator

Building vocabularies

Increasing the number of communication opportunities

Working with large groups

Sustained shared thinking

Story time

Working in small groups

A whole team approach

Willingness to reflect

Working with parents

5. Stories, Storytelling and Books

What's so important about stories?

Listening: 'If you're sitting comfortably, then I'll begin'

Understanding language

Why picture books and illustrations are important

What's so important about storytelling?

Children as storytellers

Family and heritage stories

Turning the pages together

Story and role-play

Involving artists

Story and foreign language learning

Children at the library: selecting information books

6. Rhyme, Rhythm, Sound and Song

First sounds

Communicating through making music

Communicating through song

Rhymes

Metalinguistic awareness

Playing with words

Early phonemic awareness

Phonics

7. Emerging Literacy: Playful Reading and Writing

Early Years Foundation Stage and literacy

What is emergent literacy?

How did you learn to read?

A multisensory approach to reading

Guiding readers

The writing process - what is involved in writing?

Encouraging fine motor control for writing

Involving parents in children's emergent literacy

Role-play and emergent writing

Playful literacy

Appendix 1. Theories of Language Acquisition

Appendix 2. Example of Long-term Planning: Early Years Unit

Glossary

References

Index