Ten in the Bed by Penny Dale

Outcome 2.3 and 4.3 Reading: Understanding Stories: Simple to More Difficult – Talking Literacy Project, Department of Education & Children’s Services, 2008 (downloaded DECD website 15 November 2013) The What: The Emergent Literacy Course which can be accessed online through the DECD Literacy Secretariat provides Early Years Educators with information in the following areas of early literacy development which, are essential for reading development; -Phonological Awareness; the understanding of alliteration, syllables, rhyme, initial and final sounds. -Phonemic Awareness; the understanding that words can be broken down into phonemes (sounds) and these sounds can be manipulated (blended together for reading and segmented for spelling). -Book Brochure Resource; texts which develop oral narrative skills. The resource provides a scope and sequence for phonological skills from birth to 5 years. It also provides a book brochure resource which sequentially identifies a range of texts at each developmental stage of reading for preschool students; texts with simple descriptions, sequences, cause and effect, characters with goals, characters with plans and taking another point of view. The texts included in the resource although targeted towards developing literacy skills through vocabulary development it lends itself to developing a range of early numeracy concepts; time, size, number, measurement (refer to table in portfolio). So What: The strength of the Emergent Literacy Book Brochure resource lies within its ability to sequentially link the development stages of reading from 0-4 years with relevant resources. These texts can be used by educators in preschool settings to develop reading skills of children during small group literacy instruction times. An implication for literacy development in preschool students might be for parental access and education about appropriate texts to read with their children. Supporting parents to have access to the Book Brochure resource would inevitably support literacy development in homes. Now What: Links to outcome 4.3 Since being exposed to this resource it has highlighted areas for my own development in regard to knowledge about developmentally appropriate texts for 0-4 year olds. I have always had a love for literature and as a mother would read regularly to my own children. However engaging with this resource has given me an insight into the sequential developmental opportunities which the ‘right’ text can provide a child. I am now aware of the importance of Emergent Literacy skills to reading development. Since connecting with a Reception teacher from Lincoln Gardens Primary School I have also been able to gain in sight from a teachers perspective about how vital it is to provide opportunities for children to engage in learning opportunities which develop phonological, phonemic, oral language and vocabulary development through the use of books prior to starting to school. As a result I have initiated professional learning for myself and will be attending the next Emergent Literacy Training provided by DECD. Cathy Stanbury http://cathysportfolio.blogspot.com.au