CHAPTER 1: THE CHILD RESPONDS TO LITERATURE

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

DEFINITION OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The development of verbal or non verbal form of communication that is used by the community with varying rules for grammar, syntax, sentence structure and vocabulary.

Language development-facilitates teaching and learning (Berk, 2001) and it is closely related to reading and writing skills.

(Child Development for Program Perguruan Pendidikan Rendah Pengajian 4 Tahun)

Steve Herb (1997) state that children early experiences with book directly related to their success in learning to read in school.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTCHARACTERISTICS TEACHING

RECOMMENDATIONS

PRESCHOOL : AGES 2-31. Very rapid language growth

occurs. End of this period, children have vocabularies about 900 words.

2. Learn to identify & name actions in pictures .

3. Learn to identify large & small body parts.

1. Provide many activities to stimulate language growth including picture books & rhymes.

2. Read books that contain clear action pictures & encourage to identify actions.

3. Allow to identify familiar body parts in picture books.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTCHARACTERISTICS TEACHING

RECOMMENDATIONSPRESCHOOL : AGES 3-41. Vocabularies increased to

about 1500 words. Enjoy playing with sound & rhythm in language.

2. Develop ability to use past tense but may over generalize the ed and s markers.

3. Use language to help find out about the world.

4. Speech becomes complex with more adjectives, adverbs, pronouns and prepositions.

1. Opportunities to listen to & say rhymes, poetry & riddles.

2. Allow to talk about what they did & discuss actions in books.

3. Read picture storybooks to allow children to find out about & discuss pets and people.

4. Expand use of descriptive words through detailed picture books and picture storybooks. Allow children to tell stories & describe characters & their actions.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTCHARACTERISTICS TEACHING

RECOMMENDATIONSPRESCHOOL : AGES 4-51. Language is more abstract &

children produce grammatically correct sentences. Vocabularies contain about 2500 words.

2. Understand the prepositions.

3. Enjoy asking many questions especially related to why and how.

1. Enjoy books with more complex plots. Ask them to tell longer and more detailed stories. Enjoy retelling folktales & can tell stories using wordless books.

2. Use concept books or other picture books in which prepositions can be reinforced.

3. Take advantage of natural curiosity & find books to help answer children’s questions. Allow to answer each other’s questions.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTCHARACTERISTICS TEACHING

RECOMMENDATIONSPRESCHOOL – KINDERGARTEN : AGES 5-61. Use complex sentences

frequently & begin to use correct pronouns & verbs in present and past tense. Understand 6000 words.

2. Enjoy taking part in dramatic play and producing dialogue about everyday activities eg : at home.

3. Curious about written appearance of their own language.

1. Give many opportunities for oral language activities connected with literature.

2. Read stories about home and community. Allow to act out their own stories.

3. Write chart stories using children’s own words. Have children dictate descriptions of pictures.

CHARACTERISTICS TEACHING RECOMMENDATIONS

EARLY ELEMENTARY : AGES 6-81. Language development

continues. Add many new words to their vocabularies.

2. Use complex sentences with adjectival clauses & conditional clause beginning with if. Average oral sentence length – 7 ½ words.

1. Provide daily time for reading to children & allow oral interaction.

2. Read stories that provide models for children’s expanding language structure.

MIDDLE ELEMENTARY : AGES 8-101. Begin to relate concepts to

general ideas. Use connectors eg : meanwhile.

2. Subordinating connector although used correctly by 50% of children. Present participle active & perfect participle appear. Average sentence length – 9 words.

1. Supply books as models. Let children use these terms during oral language activities.

2. Use written models & oral models to help children master their language skills. Literature discussions allow many opportunities for oral sentence expansion.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENTCHARACTERISTICS TEACHING RECOMMENDATIONS

UPPER ELEMENTARY : AGES 10-121. Use complex sentences with

subordinate clauses of concession introduced by in spite of. Auxiliary verbs appear frequently.

1. Encourage oral language & written activities that permit children to use more complex sentence structures.

ADOLESCENE : AGES 12-181. Have better understanding of

figurative language eg : hyperbole.

2. Acquire vocabulary related to academic disciplines.

1. Read & discuss poetry that uses figurative language. Use creative writing.

2. Identify & use specific vocabulary with each discipline. Read variety of nonfictional materials.

PRESCHOOL CHILDREN

Literature at this stage are meant to be enjoyable yet in the same time giving knowledge to children.

Should be able to attract children’s interest.

Help the children to use language to discover the world, identify the name and actions of objects, gain more complex speech and enjoy the wonder of language.

One of the earliest literature learn by the children’s:- PICTURE BOOKS.

Help to give meaning to their expanding vocabulary.

Pictures help to encourage the children to talk.

In this stage, children enjoy, and able to easily join all the words that rhyme.

-includes both language and rhyming text

-help the children to identify actions in the pictures

eg: “rust-bellied robins”, clouds as “fragile as lace”

Many excellent books allow children to listen to the sound of the language and experiment with these

-Includes both repetition and actions that younger children enjoy

All work together song

Books with repetitive language are also excellent in developing language development as the listeners to join during oral reading.

-in this book, Jane Yolen creates a rhythmic, rhyming text as various animals move off to find grandmother’s house

-eg: Slither-slee, slither slee. Down the branch and round the tree,” goes the little snake in search of grandmother

Through literature, the children can also learn other languages.

For example, in Tortillitas Para Mama by Margot C. Griego et al, the children can respond in both Spanish and English when they interact with the rhyme in the book

A book that inspire children to play & appreciate language is also excellence for language development.Eg : Lloyd Moss’s Zin ! Zin! Zin! A Violin

-acting out the sounds & movements related to the orchestra.

-children can join in as the trombone plays mournful tone by ‘gliding, sliding', or the oboe plays ‘gleeful, bleating, sobbing, pleading.’

Unusual words and rhyme encourage little children to play with language to help in developing their language development.

- eg:

the fantasy progresses, ooglets are tuzzling, parobbies are churling & glipneeps are jumping.

ELEMENTARY – AGE CHILDREN

♣During middle and late childhood, children develop their vocabulary and grammar.

♣They become less tied to the actions and perception associated with words but begin to use language to convey their needs and desires.

♣Among the methods to develop reading skills is the phonic approach. (Nik Eliani Nik Nawi, 2002)

Walter Loban (1976)

♣Conducted the most extensive longitudinal study of language development in school children.

♣He found that children’s power over language increases through successive control over different forms of language.

♣He also indentified dramatic differences between children who ranked high in language proficiency and those who ranked low

HIGH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

LOW LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

reached the level of oral proficiency during the 1st grade

Reached the level of oral proficiency during the 6th grade

Reached a the level of written proficiency during 4th grade

Reached the level of written proficiency during the 10th grade

Excelled in the control of ideas expressed, showing unity and planning in both in both speech and writing.

Oral communication is characterized by rambling and no specific purpose dialogue in demonstration in merger vocabulary.

Able to use various rich vocabulary in freely manner with the ability to adjust their language according to their listener.

♣Children who superior in oral language in kindergarten first grade also excelled in reading and writing in 6th grade.

♣They were more fluent in written language by using more words per sentence, showed a richer written vocabulary.

♣They also superior in using connectors and subordination to combine thoughts into complex forms of expression.

How to make literature fun for children?

♣Teachers, librarians, and parents should focus more on discussion as it helps children organize ideas and make complex generalizations.

♣“ While teachers see oral language as central to writing and reading, acquisition, they often do not recognize the need to foster its futher development. “ (Clay, 1991)

♣By using stories in rhyme written children in elementary-age can learn both history and rhyming language.

♣Wordless picture books can stimulate oral and written language.

♣Books that are written in two languages exposed children another language as they can see and hear as well as read or hear their own language.

♣Books with vivid language, similes, and metaphors stimulate language development and appreciation for literary style.

♣Poetry collections are another good source for language development.

♣Children learns to express themselves with much enjoyment by using literature to provide stimulus for the dramatic play and creative dramatics.

♣Children also can increase their language development by using books that encourage children to make their own stories.

♣Children can explore new world by using ‘what if’ stories with the accompaniment of literary devices.

YOUNG ADULTS AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The books they read and the activeness associations with literature will encourage literary appreciation as well as understanding.

Some of the authors of young adult literature use writing style that may help students understand the writing process