Language and Literacy enriched environments has a lasting impact on young children and their future.
There is ongoing evidence that lliteracy is critical for young children’s learning, now and in their future lives. Educators need to be invested in creating early learning environments that are rich in language and literacy and can cross over curriculum areas.
The nursery is a great example that just books are not enough. Educators need to find meaningful ways to create an environment that displays printed text, uses books that build on
language and development. Books that are rhythmic and have a pattern capture children’s attention and build their ability to predicate what is going to happen next. That is another reason why nursery rhymes and finger songs are so effective in youngchildren’s lives. By having labels with pictures along with the printed text of children’s name, this exposes children to name recognition.
Toddlers can begin toexplore with stories, deconstructing them and recalling and acting them
out. Recently, I created a “Brown Bear Brown Bear” small world. First children were read the story and then they were allowed to use the characters within the
small world space to recreate the story. It is so important to view young children as capable and competent and this is one way that educators can showcase this.
By the time children reach the preschool years, these young children will have heads start on language and literacy. The important work done in the first three years will have laid an important framework. But it is now not the time to stop. Again, those provocations with printed text, inspiring setups books to inspire and motivate but also continue to highlight that books aid in finding the answers.
You see, research indicates that children’s literacy understandings do not start when formal schooling begins, it begins with that first song sung, that first story told, and it continues to have an impact on their later reading success and long-term learning outcomes.
What value you place on language and literacy on young children's future? Do you promote it with the youngest of children?
Janine Kelly
