Activities

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Activities for The Development of Literacy: As Reading Instruction Begins

Multiple Choice

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This activity is based on this reading.

Teaching Reading in the Early Years
Optimal Instructive Behaviors During Story Time

Whitehurst, G. J., Falco, F.L., Lonigan, C.J., Fischel, J.E., DeBaryshe, B.D., Valdez-Menchaca, M.C., & Caulfield, M.

First appeared: (1988) Developmental Psychology, 24, 552-559.

Abstracted by Online Academy

Background and Research Questions
Do the ways parents talk about picture books during story time make a difference in the language development of their children? Whitehurst et al.´s investigation showed that when parents increased the frequency of expansions and open-ended and attribute/function questions, the expressive language ability of young children also increased.

The Participants
Thirty children, all within the normal range of language development, and their parents participated in the study. The children, ages 21 to 35 months, were from intact, middle-class families living on Long Island, New York, and were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or control group. Pretest measures, including an upper-limit measure of MLU (mean length of utterance), did not vary significantly between groups.

The Protocols
Parents of the children in the experimental group were trained during two 25- to 30-minute sessions to alter the frequency and timing of the ways they talked to their children while reading picture books. Those in the control group were asked to continue reading to their children but were not told to change any behaviors. Both groups audio-taped reading sessions with their children 3 to 4 times per week over a 4-week period. At the end of 4 weeks children in both groups were given the following posttests: the expressive subscale of the ITPA (Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities), the PPVT (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, and the EOWPVT (Expressive One Word Picture Vocabulary Test).

Results
The authors of this study concluded that easily obtained changes in parent behavior during story time can substantially and positively affect their children´s language development. After four weeks, the experimental group showed significant increases in scores on the ITPA and the EOWPVT. (While scores on the PPVT favored the experimental group, they were not statistically significant.) In the experimental group child MLU scores and frequency of child phrases also increased over the four-week period. In addition, on a follow-up study nine months later, children in the experimental group still scored higher on the two expressive tests.

Translating Research into Practice
Although this particular study focused on story time with parents and their young children in the home, it is obviously applicable to story time in a school setting; in fact, using these methods in both settings might enhance the overall outcomes. Results of this study showed that the following behaviors increased children´s language development:

1. Asking children questions that require more than a "yes" or "no" answer. Asking open-ended questions and "wh" questions (who, what, where, why) will elicit more speech.

2. Increasing the frequency of repeating and expanding the children´s speech. This will provide children the opportunity to contrast their own speech with their parents´ more expansive versions.

3. Providing praise and corrective feedback. This will motivate children and give them relevant information.

EXAMPLES OF PARENT/TEACHER BEHAVIORS TO INCREASE LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The following examples are based on The Cat in the Hat Comes Back by Dr. Seuss. Included below are 3 open-ended questions. For each question, there is a related correct answer and response and an incorrect answer and response.

open-ended questions

1. What is the Cat in the Hat doing in this picture? (p. 10 & 11)

2. How do you think he will get rid of the rug spots? (p. 24 & 25)

3. Why do Sally and her brother look upset? (p. 30 & 31)

possible correct answers or predictions

1. having cake

2. The Cat in the Hat will do something.

3. They are worried; their mom might be mad.

responses providing praise; repeating and expanding children´s speech

1. That´s right! That cat is eating a whole cake in the bathtub and having a wonderful time even with the bathtub overflowing!

2. I think you are right - the Cat in the Hat will probably do another trick. He might take the spots off the rug and put them some other place.

3. Yes! I´ll bet they are worried about what their mother will say when she returns home and sees all the mess. The house was probably clean when she left for town.

possible incorrect answers or predictions

1. sitting in the rain

2. rug cleaner

3. They don?t know when their mom will come home.

responses providing corrective feedback

1. It does look likes he´s sitting in the rain because he is holding an umbrella with his knees, and water is coming from the shower. But look, he is in the bathtub, and because there is so much water in the tub, water is overflowing onto the floor.

2. That´s a good idea. That cat may have to spray cleaner all over the rug. We would sure have to get out the spray cleaner if we made those messes, wouldn´t we! Maybe he can do one of his tricks to get out those spots - just like he did when he got the spots off the dress.

3. Good idea - they could be wondering when their mom will come back. I´ll bet their mother will be back very soon, so they might be worried about what their mother will say when she sees the mess the Cat in the Hat has made. They might be worried about the big pink spot on the bed.

After reading, choose one of your favorite childhood storybooks and use it to create three open-ended questions about the story. For each of the three questions, create a child´s possible correct answer followed by an appropriate response and a child´s possible incorrect answer followed by an appropriate response. The responses to the correct answers should provide praise as well as repeat and expand on the child´s answer. The responses to the incorrect answers should provide corrective feedback.

Examples of these parent/teacher behaviors to increase language development can be found in your handout. Follow the format used for The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, taking into consideration information from the reading, with particular attention to the section, "Translating Research into Practice."

example:

Your answer would of course depend on the storybook you have chosen. However, each answer should follow the format used for The Cat in the Hat Comes Back and should include appropriate praise, repetition and expansion of the child?s speech, and corrective feedback.

2.	Think about and list at least seven characteristics you would find in a balanced reading program for the primary grades (K-3).

example:

In general, your answer should include, or be consistent with, seven of the following characteristics:

Children are surrounded by opportunities to see language, hear language, and use language.
Children gain an appreciation of the written word because the teacher reads often to the children from a variety of literature genres.
The children develop an awareness of printed language, which includes what books are and how they should be used. They are encouraged to ?read? to themselves.
Children are given an understanding that language is made up of words, syllables, and phonemes when they hear or read nursery rhymes and poetry.
For those children who need it, there are opportunities to receive systematic instruction and practice with phonological awareness.
Children are given an understanding of the sound structures of words with rhyming and alliteration games.
Children are given many opportunities to gain story understanding.
Children are given direct instruction about the alphabet, its associated sounds, the relationship of letters to words, and spelling patterns.
Children are given explicit instruction in word reading and spelling.
Children are engaged in a wide variety of writing activities to gain an appreciation for communicating ideas as well as skills for writing and spelling. They are encouraged to use a combination of standard spelling and invented spelling.

From your reading about the development of literacy, create a list of five suggestions that would answer the question, "What are some experiences that would enable a child to be "ready" for school"? Each suggestion should include a general statement (based on what you heard in the lesson) and a specific activity (from your own background knowledge) as an example.

Your answer should look like this:
A child should be familiar with letters and how they can be used to make words. Example: Use colorful magnetic letters on the refrigerator to write the child´s name and the names of other family members.

example:

Answers should be comparable to and should, in general, include the following:

A child´s beginning speech should be encouraged.Example: Listen attentively while your child is attempting to communicate. Repeat back to the child what you think he is trying to say. Respond in full sentences, not with just one or two words. Carry on a conversation.
A child should hear adults or older children name and describe everyday objects. Example: At the grocery store, name the fruits and vegetable as you shop. Tell about ones you are buying and what you will do with them when you get home. Continue the conversation when you get home.
A child should listen to an adult read books with rhymes or sing rhyming songs.Example: Have your child listen to Maurice Sendak´s Chicken Soup with Rice, Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes, or listen to records of nursery rhymes being sung.
A child should be involved in a lot of interactive conversation which includes rich language and vocabulary. Example: As you drive along in the car with your child, talk about what you are seeing. As you describe those things, add new vocabulary with enough explanation for the child to understand the new words. "It looks like that house is getting a new coat of paint. Maybe the painters will have to paint it twice to cover the old color. That house might get two coats of paint."
Widen a child´s horizons by visiting museums, art galleries, zoos, parks, etc. Example: A trip to a lake, or even a nearby park, can involve looking at different kinds of plants, trees, birds, and other animals. Make a game out of seeing how many different kinds of animals you can see.
A child should see adults reading. Example: Make a point of taking time to sit and read a book, magazine, or newspaper. Share with your child an interesting picture or interesting information.
A child should become familiar with letters, their shapes and names. Example: Point out letters on names of stores or on household products such as cereal boxes. Cut out colorful letters and have your child help you paste the letters of her name onto a piece of paper which can then be decorated with paint or crayons.
A child should have a lot of experience with writing materials to practice her own personal "scribble writing." Example: Let your child experiment with finger paints. She can draw lines and circles and become familiar with common shapes and their names.

Beginning Word Reading