Literacy in Early Childhood
Abstract
Processes such as observing and hearing what others speak help children in developing their verbal language skills. Nonetheless, reading and writing abilities, often referred as literacy, are not mastered overnight. The debates on the actual meaning of literacy have resulted in an intensive study of the phenomenon. Literacy skills precondition the success of children in and after school. Therefore, literacy in early childhood education is a concept that is introduced to help children improve their learning abilities and become long-life learners. It is concerned with a child’s capability to understand important signs in particular media. This paper attributes to the existing body of knowledge by examining how reading is taught through writing.
Introduction
In the UAE, the New School Model (NSM) is promoted by the nationals who have received western education. The new system is an imported model of education in which much of the content, if not all, is hybrid. The system advocates for bilateral kindergarten curriculum that follows Euro-American system with an emphasis on the holistic upbringing of a child (ADEC, 2012). The ability of teachers to meet children’s needs is mostly influenced by the teachers’ levels of education and training (Shonkoff & Philips, 2000). Child care classrooms thus need fully trained and qualified teachers. Being well trained influences both teachers’ job satisfactions and their capability to carry out professional duties effectively. In addition, teachers are able to interact with learners positively, giving them the required attention and stimulating their cognitive development. An educator’s background is essential, as it provides experience in handling children.
A teacher with a poor background or new to teaching early childhood will not be able to effectively perform professional duties. This assumption is confirmed by Dewey’s theory of professional experience emphasizing students’ experiences for the achievement of short-term and long-term goals. To gain skills and experience, new or inexperienced teachers should be employed as assistant teachers so that they can observe how the experienced educators handle these children. In turn, teachers with sufficient experience should be encouraged to share their insights and organize seminars to train their inexperienced colleagues (Grant & Drafall, 1996).
Case Study
An observation was carried out in two kindergarten classes whose teachers used different strategies. The age of children in both classes was between 5 and 6 years. As a new kindergarten teacher, I observed these two classes with an aim to get experience in teaching literacy. I observed both classes for one week, and I figured out that in one class reading was taught through writing, while in another class writing was neglected. In the latter class, children observed their teacher’s writing and then read it.
Observations
When I observed the first class, the teacher was reading mixed-up Chameleon Story to children. Then she asked them to choose the colors for their chameleon and to explain their choice. After checking what the children wrote, the teacher came …
