Running Head: EARLY LEARNING
EARLY LEARNING
Gather a list of four books you would like to add to your library area to read aloud to the children and explore them. Share a rationale as to why you chose each book. Two of the books selected should build specific early language and literacy skills, such as looking at pictures and pointing to and naming familiar objects. The other two books should be high-quality narratives with simple storylines infants and toddlers can relate to, and that expands their vocabulary.
Be sure to include the title and author of each book.
Build specific early language and literacy
- Peekaboo bedtime, by Rachel Isadora (2008)-the main reason for choosing this book is that it contains visual clues on the discovery to be made with bright and clear instructions of elements of a successful bed routine. They turn this story into a turn-taking game, which helps them learn how to make communications later.
- Hello day! Anita Lobel (2008) contains drawings of animals that are accompanied by simple language of what the animal says. It helps children learn animal sounds while reading together. This book gives an element of discovering and delivering a satisfying wrap-up to the eventful day.
Expand their vocabulary
- Families, by Rena D. Grossman. (2009)-This book tries to explain how people and animals take care of their kids. It shows how family members play various activities, and it helps kids learn new things and their names very fast by stretching their thinking.
- I like myself by Karen Beaumont (2004)- This book is designed to help kids learn about each other developing a healthy sense of self and boosting relationships with others.
LESSON PLAN
Create a learning experience or lesson plan explaining how you will use one of the books to implement an interactive reading experience with the children.
- Lesson Name:
I like myself
- Lesson Description:
This lesson is to teach toddlers more about themselves. I will use the readily available themes that will be funny like physical growth, various body parts likes and dislikes, etc. they will be able to draw a visual representation of objects, person, or activities.
- Materials-
- Balls
- Owl body
- Owl parts
- A self-portrait
- Metal fastener
- Blank white paper
- Pencils and crayons
- Skills/Strategies from the Courses:
I will read and explain the story I like myself by Karen Beaumont and explain to students that they are all different in many ways. Then hand white sheet to students and instruct them to draw anything that they love. I need to walk around the class and ask the students why they chose to draw what they are drawing.
- Age Group:
The age group that I will teach is aged between 2-3 years.
- Goal and the Activity:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to identify their interest the differences that they have as human.
REFLECTION
Reflect on what you have learned while completing the Designing Infant and Toddler Learning Environments and the Language Development for Infants and Toddlers courses.
- Share an “aha” moment from your experiences in the courses.
The first aha moment that I experienced is how kids learn new things daily. Our class was focused on student learning by providing an environment that is conducive for them. Kids love to learn more, but we do get on their way, and hence our class focus on individual ways of learning flexibly to each. The students are hungry to get more information from me so that they can grow individually since students learn differently. We also developed the power to play by ensuring that our lessons are exciting, fun, and engaging. We also challenged kids daily to ensure that they take classwork seriously and work hard to get better.
- When and how did you notice a change in your teaching or the children’s learning?
Learning is a continuous thing, and changes happen daily. The first change that I noticed was that kids got hungry to learn and increase their knowledge daily. They were able to complete the tasks given to them accurately, and this encouraged me to teach them more. I had already set goals on the targets that we need to meet as a class and achieved all of them even before the stipulated time. Kids were also able to catch up with the tone I had set at the beginning, and this was an indication that development was happening. I had set the class environment well, and I saw the benefits when kids were asking engaging questions and not out of topic; hence growth was taking place.
- How did you establish a language and literacy-rich environment in your setting?
I ensured that I explained using the simplest language that students could easily understand. I also used charts and drawing when I felt that theoretical information was hard to narrow down for a student to understand. There are many emerging skills like the use of technology, and hence I sometimes introduced gadgets that will assist students in understanding further. I used Home language since students were a bit conversant with it, and it is used at home by most families and hence easier to figure and understand things.
- How did you share the knowledge you have about the importance of language and literacy skills with the families of the children?
To help the families of my student understand the development that the kid has undergone, I sent them a progress report explaining the development from where we started to the current position that we are in. The art of learning a language helps in the development of their ability to read and write. Family members of the child also appreciate child growth one they recognize words that rhyme, scribble down things, and read some letters of the alphabets. Family members understood the knowledge gained by the kid once they started understanding some routine times, such as mealtime and sleeping times. I also encouraged kids to give a story of things they have learned in class, enabling families to understand the development of the kid better.
- Describe how you have connected the information from both courses into your daily work with children.
This book of mainly based on someone appreciating himself. The time that we share with students is full of energy and imagination, which builds their self-esteem and encourages kids to love themselves just the way they are, inside and outside. It doesn’t matter whether they have messy hair or beaver breath; appreciating oneself is the best thing in life. Loving yourself also helps create energy that will help you love others too.
References
Karen, B. (2004) I Like Myself