One of the ten principles underpinning Birth to Three Matters is 'Learning is a shared process and children learn most effectively when, with the support of a knowledgeable and trusted adult, they are actively involved and interested.' This principle applies across all early learning, but it is particularly relevant when it comes to planning for early literacy.
To support early literacy skills, practitioners need to:
* understand how under-threes build these skills
* understand how to support children when they are genuinely ready to crack the code for written language
* have the confidence to share sensible approaches with parents and carers, who may urge them to press ahead with 'proper learning', even with very young children. It is not surprising that some parents want to leap ahead - many plastic toys and electronic pads claim to teach toddlers, sometimes even babies, the letters of the alphabet, implying that this ridiculous aim is a realistic expectation.
Examples of how babies and very young children develop literacy skills and how practitioners can support them appear in the Birth to Three Matters video, as well as on the laminated cards, so let's consider some of them.
Communicating
Young children only make sense of the written form of their language(s) against a rich understanding of spoken language. Babies can build a fine repertoire of sound-making and simple 'conversational' skills. But they gain these skills only through frequent, happy interaction with familiar adults - not by pressing buttons to release the battery-powered voice of a complete stranger.
* A natural flow of communication may happen during spontaneous play. Look at the video sequence of a practitioner with children in the garden, enjoying posting balls down the pipe. Her words link directly with what the children do and she looks enthused about the game.
* Give-and-take conversations can evolve around planned resources, such as the lively exchange you can see as children look closely at the snails (towards the end of the video). The practitioner is an equal partner in this conversation: she answers the questions that these very young children want to ask and contributes her own open-ended comments and questions.
* Of course, toddlers and young children do not restrict their speaking and listening to play experiences. Look again at the warm exchange between the toddler and the practitioner who is changing his nappy. The message is that personal care routines build communicative relationships with easy opportunities for a chat.
Rhythm
All young children need to tune into the sounds of their language(s).
However, English is an especially difficult language, because there is no easy set of rules about how a sound or sound blend is expressed in written letters. Young speakers and listeners of English need generous time to gain a rich spoken vocabulary and be confident in saying and hearing sounds.
Nursery rhymes, songs and chants help young children manage the flow of their words and tune into sound patterns. The best singing times are often spontaneous and any group time needs to be limited to a small number of children.
Watch the video sequence of a practitioner and a few children snuggled up to her as they sing out in their garden. Repetition enables children to recall a song or rhyme and soon to start the singing themselves. The same kind of happy repetition arises with stories that read almost like a poem, with a flow of words and a recurring phrase.
Storytelling
Young children who are enthusiastic about books are well set up to be keen to learn to read for themselves, when they are truly ready. Babies and toddlers need experience with different kinds of books, an interested adult and only a very few other children.
* The video section on the Skilful Communicator features a very young child and a baby showing real enjoyment of a book and the conversation that unfolds around the storyline and illustrations. The practitioner is their childminder, yet there is no suggestion that this kind of close contact could only happen in a family home. On the contrary, the clear message is that group settings need to plan for this kind of snuggling-in time to be easily available on request.
* Whatever the type of setting, toddlers should have favourite books that they can take from a basket or low shelf when they choose. They can have learned how a book works, turning the pages and even echoing some of the storyline or what a familiar adult usually says to each picture or photo.
* Young children can realise through experience that some books give you information about big trucks, going shopping, spiders - anything that interests this young child.
Appropriate early literacy experiences provide young children with reasons to want to read and write. Older children often want to write down stories, but this task requires more than knowing what letters to form. Children need to feel confident in how to create a story - what is going to happen and who the characters are.
Suggestions within the four cards supporting A Skilful Communicator remind practitioners of the importance of storymaking and storytelling. Props, such as storysacks, enable children to play out a story. Open-ended pretend play resources give scope for imaginative narratives to unfold.
Meaningful mark making
Young children need plenty of experience in making deliberate marks. Look at the baby in the video who concentrates so intently on making his paint marks on the screen. That baby is practising important skills of looking, understanding the cause-and-effort of making the swirls and developing physical skills as his hands and whole body move.
Following that sequence, you see the slightly older children enjoying generous amounts of stationery and some conventional pens, making shopping lists. But watch how the young girl uses her pen in a vertical prodding movement - a reminder why children should not be asked to trace letters at this age. They still need plenty of experience with larger-scale mark-making tools - crayons, paint on fingers, brushes and chunky chalks.
Young children need to see familiar adults using their skills of writing, as well as reading. Children start to look like writers at this point through the medium of pretend. A Competent Learner (Representing card) offers the case study of 26-month-old Malachi, who watched his keyworker making notes about another child. Malachi took a piece of paper and crayon and began to make his own marks while looking at the other child. This very young child has shown skills of observation, imitation and physical dexterity. But he also demonstrated thinking power; he has understood important basics through watching adults make marks for a reason. NW
Further resources
* Early Education Learning Together series of leaflets: The road to reading and Making their mark - children's early writing, tel: 020 7539 5400 www.early-education.org.uk
* Featherstone, Sally (ed) L is for Sheep: getting ready for phonics (especially chapters on very early learning). Featherstone Education, tel: 0185 888 1212 www.featherstone.uk.com
* Sure Start/DfES Birth to Three Matters: a framework to support children in their earliest years www.surestart.gov.uk/resources/childcareworkers/birthtothreematters
RIGHT FROM THE START
Ideas to help you implement Birth to Three Matters
This week: Funny Bunny - making up rhyming words Aspect: A Skilful Communicator Component: Making meaning Sitters, standers and explorers
What you need:
* A collection of small toys
* A quiet place on the carpet or on a settee
What you do: Making up rhyming and fun names for things helps babies to tune their listening and join in the fun.
1 Look at the toys together, picking them up and feeling them.
2 Now choose one toy and introduce it to the baby. 'Hello (name), I'm Funny Bunny (or Reddy Teddy or Soggy Doggy).'
3 As you introduce the toy, make it 'walk' across the carpet or settee towards the baby. Keep saying the silly rhyme and when you get to the baby, make that toy tickle their tummy.
4 Repeat the game with another toy.
5 Praise verbal and non-verbal responses.
Another idea: Use the rhyming talk as you play with babies during the day.
Don't use 'baby talk', just rhyming words and names.
Ready for more?
* Play together with a pop-up toy or a Jack-in-the-Box, sharing the anticipation.
* Encourage the baby to play peep-bo games with you, holding their bib, towel or other object and vocalising.
Individual needs
* Making up silly songs and rhymes helps older children to vocalise and join in.
* Encourage children to make up their own names for toys and objects.
* Use pointing and natural gesture to gain their attention and encourage them to focus. Babies and young children often point when they want you to name things.
Watch, listen, reflect
* Listen for the baby copying your voice, tone or sounds.
* Watch to see if the baby copies you with a toy, following the game and joining in.
* Note when children begin to enjoy playing peep-bo with you, and when they start to play peep-bo themselves.
Working together
Parents could:
* play silly word and sounds games with their babies
* tell practitioners about the sorts of sounds their babies are making at home.
Practitioners could:
* let parents see them playing silly word games and making silly noises (we sometimes give parents a feeling that looking after children is such a serious business there is no time for fun).
What are they learning?
Are they: * having fun? * listening and joining in? * taking turns? making sounds and first words?
This leads to: * more words * enjoyment * conversations Taken from Get the message (Little Baby Books, series 4, Featherstone Education, 17.99 per series). The four series, each with four books, cover the four aspects and 16 components of Birth to Three Matters. To order copies, tel: 0185 888 1212 or visit www.featherstone.uk.com