Part 1: Introduction
Early childhood is a time of incredible growth and exploration for children. One of the most critical areas of development that these formative years provide the groundwork for is language acquisition. Young children communicate with one another and express their thoughts and feelings mainly through language. Additionally, as children go from verbal to written expression, writing as a fundamental method of communication becomes a crucial element of their development. Early childhood special education (ECSE) practitioners must thoroughly understand the stages of writing development to provide lessons, activities, and materials that encourage the emergence of writing abilities. In addition, differentiation and scaffolding of writing experiences are crucial techniques for fulfilling the various needs of all young learners, given the wide range of experiences that kids bring to the classroom.
Young children in the pre-literate period do not actively write, yet they are exposed to the written word around them. The idea of written symbols and the relationship between spoken and written language are introduced through books, signs, and labels. As kids begin recognizing letters and comprehend that written words have significance, this stage lays the framework for later literacy development (Jemutai & Webb, 2019). Children who are just starting to write reach an important milestone during the emerging period. They might create scrawls, letter-like shapes, or seemingly random strings of letters. This phase instills the knowledge that writing serves a function by enabling the expression of ideas and messages. Additionally, it promotes the growth of fine motor abilities, giving children the confidence to express themselves through writing.
Description of the four stages of writing development
Children who have reached the transitional stage demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of writing conventions. They start comprehending how writing works from left to right and how crucial word spacing is. When students attempt to spell phonetically by connecting sounds to letters, phonemic awareness takes center stage. The transitional stage is essential for phonemic awareness and letter recognition, two skills for good reading and writing (Gehsmann & Mesmer, 2023). Children who have reached the fluent stage are fully proficient in writing and can construct sentences and stories with precision in their grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Writing develops into a tool for successful communication as they go through their academic careers(). The fluent stage improves their writing expression, helping students to clearly and confidently express their ideas.
Effect writing development
Language and emerging literacy are significantly influenced by writing development. Writing and language are closely related since they are both means of self-expression and communication. Children acquire critical abilities that improve their overall language development as they move through the phases of writing development (Jemutai & Webb, 2019). Children’s vocabulary grows when they research new words for their writing projects. Their comprehension skills advance as they learn to decipher material, infer meanings, and relate written and spoken language. Children learn cognitive abilities, including memory, problem-solving, and critical thinking, as they recall letter shapes and their associated sounds, overcome spelling and grammatical obstacles, and think critically to communicate their ideas successfully.
Part 2: Emergent Literacy Learning Centers
Emergent Literacy Center 1-Word Wall Wonderland
The center’s goals are to foster vocabulary growth and the development of emerging reading abilities, particularly recognizing sight words.
Required Resources:
- High-frequency sight words on a word wall
- Related sight words on flashcards
- Dry-erase markers and tiny whiteboards
- A selection of exciting novels for all ages.
Developmentally Appropriate Instructions
Start by introducing the word wall to the kids and letting them know that these are terms they will see a lot of when reading (Chall, 2013). Encourage the kids to choose a word from the wall that is a sight word and then locate the flashcard that goes with it. Emphasize good letter formation as they practice writing the word on the whiteboard. After that, give the kids a selection of books and instruct them to look through them for sight words and read them. Encourage them to share phrases that contain the words they found and to talk about the context in which they found the words.
Differentiation
Consider providing excellent visual support to pupils with unusual language or literacy development. Use color-coded flashcards to highlight word forms for dyslexic kids and provide a multisensory approach by allowing pupils to trace the words on the board (Nitecki & Chung, 2013). Introduce increasingly difficult sight words to advanced students or give them the task of using sight words in sentences to expand their vocabulary.
Rationale
This center focuses on sight word recognition, a crucial ability for early reading success, to assist emergent reading skills. Additionally, it encourages vocabulary growth, improving comprehension, and all-around language development.
Emergent Literacy Center 2: “Story Building and Phonics Play”
Objective
This center stimulates creativity while improving emerging writing abilities and phonological awareness.
Required Resources
- Phonics flashcards or letter cards
- A big, lettered magnetic board.
- Foam or magnetic letters.
- Simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words are depicted on picture cards
- Story templates with wordless spaces
Developmentally Appropriate Instructions
Introduce the letter cards or phonics flashcards first, then talk about the sounds they stand for. Encourage kids to create simple CVC words using foam or magnetic letters on the magnetic board. Nitecki & Chung (2013) indicated that it is vital to encourage kids to match the pictures on picture cards with the corresponding CVC words by providing the picture cards. Use narrative templates with blank spaces for words and instruct kids to make up stories by filling in the correct words, helping them develop their phonics knowledge and early writing abilities.
Differentiation
The center simplifies phonics for pupils with unusual language or literacy development and gives them extra assistance in letter-sound recognition (Palmer, 2013). Consider using more giant, high-contrast letters for dyslexic pupils to improve vision. Introduce increasingly challenging phonological patterns to more advanced students and push them to write lengthier stories with various sentence forms.
Rationale
This center is crucial because it fosters the development of phonological awareness and emergent writing abilities, both crucial for the growth of early literacy. It also encourages creativity by letting kids create their own stories, which improves their linguistic and storytelling abilities.
Emergent Literacy Center 3: “Listening and Speaking Adventures”
Objective of the Center
This center aims to help kids improve their speaking and listening abilities while involving them in creative storytelling and narrative development.
Required Resources
- A selection of picture books for different ages.
- Puppets, costumes, or storytelling tools like a felt board.
- Oral story-starter cards.
Developmentally Appropriate Instructions
The development of this center involves choosing an interactive picture book with an exciting plot to read aloud to a small group of kids (Bower, 2014).). Encourage kids to discuss their feelings, opinions, and favorite book portions after reading the story. Give kids storytelling props to act out the story or make their own. Use cards with prompts to start and direct oral storytelling, inspiring kids to share their tales. Encourage storytelling in groups so kids can share their additions to the story and collaborate on language development.
Differentiation
The center dictates that for pupils with abnormal language or literacy development, simplify the instructions and offer visual help. According to Bower (2014), using imagination before flawless storytelling during differentiation is vital. Provide pupils who exhibit dyslexia with alternative communication techniques, such as oral storytelling or visual aids to improve comprehension.
Rationale
This center is essential because it fosters language proficiency, vocabulary growth, story development, and creativity, which assist the development of both emergent literacy and everyday language. It promotes confidence in oral communication, which is essential for developing writing and reading abilities.
Conclusion
The emergent writing learning center offers young learners engaging and exciting ways to hone their language and literacy abilities. For kids at various developmental stages, the center provides a range of engaging activities: children who write better their handwriting, letter recognition, and fine motor skills. Children develop letter and word formation as they write. They also learn to structure their ideas and communicate verbally in writing. Children’s vocabulary and grammar abilities can also be developed through writing. Children who write better their comprehension abilities. When writing, young people must consider their goals.
Reference
Bower, V. (2014). Developing early literacy 0-8: from theory to practice. Developing Early Literacy 0-8, 1-224.
Chall, J. S. (2013). The great debate: Ten years later, with a modest proposal for reading stages. Theory and practice of early reading, 29-55.
Gehsmann, K. M., & Mesmer, H. A. (2023). The Alphabetic Principle and Concept of Word in Text: Two Priorities for Learners in the Emergent Stage of Literacy Development. The Reading Teacher.
Jemutai, S., & Webb, P. (2019). Effects of a 6 Brick Duplo Block guided play intervention on pre-literate learners’ visual perception. South African Journal of Childhood Education, 9(1), 1-8.
Nitecki, E., & Chung, M. H. (2013). What Is Not Covered by the Standards: How to Support Emergent Literacy in Preschool Classrooms. Language and Literacy Spectrum, 23, 46-56.
Palmer, S. (2013). Foundations of literacy. A&C Black.
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