Developing Literacy Skills for Infants and Toddlers

ByLiz Meek, TVI

Literacy, what is it? How do we get it? Why would we even want it???

“Literacy in its most basic sense is the ability to get meaning from symbols and communicate using symbols” (Wright & Stratton, 2004. p.1).

Brian Cambourne’s Conditions of Learning (Pogund & Fazzi, 2002. p. 157-159).

Cambourne studied children with vision in order to determine how children developed literacy skills.

Immersion

The child should be surrounded by print. They see diaper boxes, cereal boxes, birthday cards, and environmental signs, such as McDonalds.

But what if they have low vision or no

vision????????????

Then what??

DemonstrationChildren watch other children

and adults read and write, whether it is reading the

newspaper, doing homework, typing on the computer or

being read to. These actions teach them necessary book

concepts.How to Adapt for a visually

impaired child???Clue:

This little girl (with light perception only)

is learning a special dance with her O&M instructor while on a field trip to Heritage Village in

Dallas.

ExpectationSighted children are expected to read and write because everyone around them reads and writes.

Children with visual impairments however, may be given the expectation that they will not achieve as much as their sighted peers.

We as educators and parents must examine our attitudes and perceptions about low vision, large print and braille. We must believe in what we teach and maintain high standards for ourselves and our students. Many times we may be the only ones who believe, therefore we must be the cheerleaders to all educational staff, family members, and most importantly the child herself!

ResponsibilityWhen children begin to scribble, color, and pretend to read what they have written independently, they are

taking responsibility for their beginning literacy.

Scribbling with Mom

What types of tools should be available to the child beginning literacy???

Use

• Children need to practice the skills they are learning such as, scribbling notes to siblings and parents and pretending to read storybooks that they have memorized. Children with VI who are beginning to become familiar with the concept of braille or tactile symbols typically do so only when in direct instruction.

Approximation Response

• It is important to allow children to make their own mistakes. This is how we learn best. This should continue through the emergent stage of literacy.

• It is important that the child receive feedback from someone who is knowledgeable about the child’s literacy. This is easy when the literacy is print, but???

StrategiesStrategies for beginning communication (Chen, 1999. p. 351-353).

Touch cues or tactile signals. Touching the babies lip before offering a bottle. Only use one cue at a time. The signal must be consistent.Object cuesGestures or natural body movements: waving bye-byeVocalizationsThree dimensional tangible symbolsPicturesManual signs

Creating a Literacy Rich Environment

Creating a literacy rich environment (Reach out and read, 2011).

Rhymes and finger plays.This student of mine loved patty cake.He had CVI resulting from Shaken Baby Syndrome. Notice I am dressed all in black?

Discussion and exploration of real objects.

But wait! There’s MORE!!!

Object Books that Pertain to the Child’s Activities

Examples to use when creating an alphabet book. These are from the TSBVI website. The address is listed under useful websites.AObject Bookaluminum foil, antenna, arrowManipulative Tubabacus, acorn, alarm clock, album, anchor, antler, apple, avocadoBObject Book bag, balloon, bandaid, barrette, beads, beans, book, bottle, buttonManipulative Tubball, banana, basket, battery, beanbag, bell, belt, block, boa, bone, bow, bowl, box, brick, brush

Activities for the Preschool Child(Bishop, 1996. p. 57-60)

Using hearing, smell, taste Gross motor, fine motor, touch , sensory using vision

Reading really is Fun when discovered through the eyes of a child!

Make book time fun and educational for children with low vision or no vision (2011).Retrieved from:http://www.reachoutandread.org This site has a checklist that you can use with parents to determine if they have a literacy rich environment for their children, book suggestions for children, and how and when to read to their child. Most of the information is available in Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese as well.

References

Bishop, V. (1996). Teaching Visually Impaired Children. Springfield, IL: Charles C. Thomas Publishing.

Harrison, F., & Crow, M. (n.d.). Living and Learning with Blind Children. Toronto, Canada: University of Toronto Press.

Make book time fun and educational for children with low vision or no vision. (2011). Retrieved from

http://www.reachoutandread.org

Pogund, R., & Fazzi, D. (2002). Early Focus. New York, NY: American Foundation for the Blind.

Wright, S., & Stratton, J. (2007). On the Way to Literacy. Louisville, KY: American Printing House for the Blind.

Websiteshttp://www.nbp.org/ic/nbp/programs/readbooks/readbooks.htmlhttp://specialed.about.com/cs/behaviordisorders/a/rewards.htm?p=1http://www.schoolmentalhealth.org/Resources/Educ/Ideas%20for%20Incentives%20Final.pdfhttp://www.schoolexpress.com/awards/index.phphttp://www.reachoutandread.org/parent-resources/www.lea-test.fi/leaweb/index.html www.zerotothree.orgwww.earlyliteracy.org http://www.brighthubeducation.com/special-ed-visual-impairments/http://www.tsbvi.edu/tx-sensabilities/3098-alphabet-objectshttp://www.letstalkkids.net/tag/use-real-objects-to-teach-language/

Nite, Nite Lady Bug

Children

The parents of all the children you see pictured in this presentation have given permission for their child’s pictures and information to be used for teaching purposes.The photograph of the object book page was taken by MaryAnn Demchak. The picture was taken from the Paths of Literacy website.