Emily Grunt, Collaborative Classroom’s Director of Early Childhood and Field Team Learning, along with Alicia Simba, Author and Transitional Kindergarten Teacher with Oakland Unified School District, hosted an interactive discussion with other early childhood educators and leaders.
The discussion touched on a variety of early childhood topics including current research and teaching strategies, how leaders and administrators can support educators with professional learning, and collaboration across the spectrum of school settings and grade levels.
Read highlights below or download and listen at a time of your choice. We hope you enjoy!
Listen and download the recording
Pre-Kindergarten and Early Learning
The transition from pre-K to kindergarten is a critical period in a child’s development.
Transitional kindergarten is a program for four-year-old children and is something of a gateway to elementary learning. TK is often referred to as UTK, which stands for Universal Transitional Kindergarten. The goal is to provide access to a quality learning experience the year before entering kindergarten for every child whose fourth birthday occurs by September 1st.
Early Learning Research
The National Early Literacy Panel is a group of researchers who work together to synthesize existing research on early literacy, and identify those key factors that strongly predict success in later reading and writing skills. Meeting between April 2002 and February 2006, the panel conducted a synthesis of the scientific research on the development of early literacy skills in children ages zero to five.
The panel found 11 early literacy-related skills that consistently predicted later literacy outcomes.
- phonological awareness
- alphabet knowledge
- rapid automatic naming
- writing
- spelling skills
- oral language development
- listening
- speaking
- vocabulary
- grammar
- narrative skills
These eleven skills have been consolidated into what is commonly known as “The Big 5” early literacy skills:
ORAL LANGUAGE
PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS
PRINT CONCEPTS
ALPHABETIC PRINCIPLE
VOCABULARY AND MEANING
According to Head Start, these Big 5 should form the basis for teaching literacy fundamentals in pre-kindergarten learning environments. “…young children who are dual language learners (DLLs) and those who speak English all require high-quality experiences in each of the Big 5—ALL day, EVERY day, EVERY child” (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.).
These research results hold true today, 20 years later. According to NELP panel chair Dr. Timothy Shanahan, “the evidence supporting instruction in the five areas in which NRP concluded were beneficial continues to accumulate—meaning that the case is even stronger today supporting the need for those kinds of teaching” (Shanahan, 2017).
Early Learning Practice
In today’s climate, it can be very easy to feel anxious about dismal literacy and reading scores. There is some debate between educators on how early is too early to teach literacy skills.
What we can safely and responsibly do at this age is expose children to literacy concepts while their brains are developing rapidly. We can introduce literacy skills in fun ways that are far removed from any high stakes testing, worksheets, flashcards, and curricula.
Young brains are formed through experience. It can be easy to forget that our students have only been on the planet for four to five years! When they repeat activities in small group, whole group, or play time, lessons are reinforced through practice and repetition. Educators can use songs, dance, games, movement, and sports to make the learning fun, and to therefore make it stick.
Play—whether it be songs, chants, art, movement, or games—is also an excellent opportunity for English language learners to build early literacy skills. These tools transcend language, building vocabulary in the process. Play also facilitates equity for students with disabilities. Whether it’s speech delays, cognitive issues, or anxiety, songs, games, and movement allow everyone to take a deep breath and have fun.
Movement and Art
Total physical response is a sure fire way to help cement object concepts for students. For example, when teaching segmentation we can ask children to clap out, jump out, or shake out vocabulary items to help cement knowledge.
We can also add art into the work. Writing is one of the things that we know is a strong indicator of successful readers, but instead of handing kids a pencil on the first day and asking them to write their name, we can give them a paintbrush to begin using their fine motor skills. Finger painting, sand writing, white boards and markers all make physical kinesthetic learning fun!.
Songs, chants, and games are also excellent opportunities for English language learners to build early literacy skills. These tools transcend language, building vocabulary in the process.
Self-Directed Play
Play is the foundation, literacy instruction is the topping. But sometimes educators feel unmoored when their students are engaged in self-directed play. We might be accustomed to using that time to send emails, organize our rooms, or attend to other administrative tasks.
Instead, we have a greater impact on their learning when we enter into their play. Play centers offer many ways to incorporate literacy learning. Children’s self-directed play can be a jumping-off point to enhance literacy skills.
Adding clipboards and pencils to all play centers offers the opportunity to practice holding and using a pencil. In the grocery play area, children make grocery lists. At the restaurant, they take down menu orders.
At this age, there are students who already know their letters as well as students who don’t know that letters exist. For those who do know, this might be a spelling opportunity. For those who have no knowledge of letters, we can write the word and ask them to trace over it.
Phonological Awareness
Percussion instruments offer a way to help children tune in to sound recognition. For example, the sifters at the sand table make a similar sound to the egg shaker. Maybe those things contain the same sort of particles or materials? We can help children notice the composition, differences, and similarities between the two different shakers. Then they can begin to manipulate sounds.
Songs and chants are excellent transitional tools. Singing together is a great way to engage everyone, especially a rhyming song.
Songs, chants, and games are also excellent opportunities for English language learners to build early literacy skills. These tools transcend language, building vocabulary in the process.
Providing Professional Learning and Coaching Opportunities for Early Childhood Educators
There are a number of ways administrators and other leaders can support early childhood educators. These include:
One-on-one coaching for individual educators. This is an opportunity for another set of professional eyes to notice habits and patterns educators may exhibit in the classroom. Coaches can offer suggestions for alternate strategies and tools for teachers to try.
Conferences for knowledge transfer. Sending a few teachers to quality conferences is a way to spread new ideas and information throughout the larger educational setting.
Professional development for administrators, district leaders, and policymakers. These professionals may have experience teaching one particular grade in the past and have no idea of what an early educator’s job entails in this day and age. Brain science has evolved in the past decades and ensuring leaders receive exposure will help them create systems and opportunities for educators to do their best work.
Offering paid educational experiences. Early childhood educators are often at the bottom of the pay scale. Providing paid professional learning will ensure the educator can afford to take advantage of opportunities to expand their skills.
Thinking outside formal districts. Classroom assistants, volunteers, daycare providers, and home-run childcare centers provide invaluable services to the children in their care and their communities. Consider opportunities for community collaboration and include these groups when offering professional learning opportunities.
The Arc of Alignment
Early childhood teachers can feel siloed. It’s important to remember that the children we teach in these earliest learning environments will still be “our” children when they are in K–12 grades. The connections we create in these early years last throughout their educational journey.
Understanding that the goal is for students to be strong readers by the end of third grade, early childhood educators might connect with teachers in higher level grades to learn their concerns and the problems they are seeing in their students. Aligning literacy efforts and collaborating with educators along the spectrum of grade levels—including TK and kindergarten educators—is key to setting up children for academic success.
One interesting example of this: We hear that students in grades 2–5 are experiencing physical tiredness when asked to do a writing assignment because they’re not used to holding a writing instrument or are unaccustomed to typing. Pre-K and TK educators can choose to spend 10–15 minutes in various activities that focus on finger flexibility. When they get to third grade and it’s time to write the state test, they’re more agile and adept from that practice.
Final Thoughts
Early learning educators have the awesome opportunity and responsibility to promote strong foundational literacy skills and a love of literacy at the same time. We want children to succeed in all the ways that will help them in life, but also want them to become fully literate so that they can appreciate the joy there is in books, songs, and movies. These things are incredibly fun and life-enhancing, and we want children to be able to fully experience and appreciate those opportunities. Aligning our efforts makes our job easier, and helps us achieve those important goals.
References
Shanahan, T. (2017, August 13). Can I still rely on the national reading panel report? Shanahan on Literacy. https://www.shanahanonliteracy.com/blog/can-i-still-rely-on-the-national-reading-panel-report?load=true&comid=2033
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Head Start. (n.d.). A planned language approach (PLA): The big 5 for all. Head Start Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center. Retrieved from https://www.headstart.gov/culture-language/article/planned-language-approach-pla-big-5-all
Download Samples of SEEDS of Learning
Professional Learning Framework Sample Kit