Childhood Literacy Digest
4/28/2006
Social Stories to Ease Transition
Social Stories™ can provide a concrete reminder of possible ways to handle a social interaction, perform a skill or routine. They can effectively address the needs of an individual child. The child receives emotional support from writing the story, then reading and rereading it. As the stories frequently communicate the perspectives of others, they can support the development of empathy.
(Taken from Beyond the Journal-Young Children on the Web-September 2005 Using Social Stories to Ease Children’s Transitions by Jennifer Briody and Kathleen McGarry
http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200509/BriodyBTJ905.asp)
(Taken from Beyond the Journal-Young Children on the Web-September 2005 Using Social Stories to Ease Children’s Transitions by Jennifer Briody and Kathleen McGarry
http://www.journal.naeyc.org/btj/200509/BriodyBTJ905.asp)
4/2/2006
Social Stories™
Social Stories™ describe a social interaction, routine or skill in terms of relevant social cues, perspectives, and common responses in a specifically defined style and format. The goal of a Social Story™ is to share accurate social information in a patient and reassuring manner that is easily understood by the children.
(Taken from the Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding Website: http://www.thegraycenter.org/socialstorywhat.cfm)
(Taken from the Gray Center for Social Learning and Understanding Website: http://www.thegraycenter.org/socialstorywhat.cfm)
3/27/2006
Integrating Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Learning
"Unsmiling Faces is written for teachers and clinicians who are concerned about the emotional well-being of young children. It is a book for early childhood professionals who want to create programs that acknowledge the emotional lives of their students, thus facilitating the integration of emotional, social, and cognitive learning in preschool." Lesley Koplow, Unsmiling Faces
We will be posting pieces about social stories this week.
We will be posting pieces about social stories this week.
3/22/2006
The Reading Writing Connection
"Writing reinforces the links between spoken and written language." CT. State Dept. of Education, 2000
Invented spelling is an important step in developing phonemic awareness. It allows children to write without worrying about correct spelling and to capture their voice on paper. This kindergarten student wrote her own story about wanting to be an artist. http://www.blankslatebooks.com/templates/Artist.pdf
Invented spelling is an important step in developing phonemic awareness. It allows children to write without worrying about correct spelling and to capture their voice on paper. This kindergarten student wrote her own story about wanting to be an artist. http://www.blankslatebooks.com/templates/Artist.pdf
3/21/2006
The First Step
"Something quite wonderful happens when you fold a piece of paper in half - it becomes the first step in the journey to a book." Literacy Through the Book Arts, Paul Johnson, 1993
3/17/2006
The Two Literacies
"Linguistic language and visual language have coexisted on the page since the beginning of the book. But do they combine to create meaning? And if so are there implications for children's own book art?" Paul Johnson, Literacy Through the Book Arts, 1993
3/15/2006
Writing and Reading are Related
Oral language, reading and writing are all interrelated and reinforce one another. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2000).
3/12/2006
Reading Instruction
Primary-level reading instruction must involve explicit, systematic teaching of word-identification skills, including phonics instruction and instruction in phonemic awareness. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2000).
One way to do this is to help children make their own board books (aka chunky books). Pages with simple photographs and one-word captions or clip art with one-word captions are a good way to start.
One way to do this is to help children make their own board books (aka chunky books). Pages with simple photographs and one-word captions or clip art with one-word captions are a good way to start.
3/8/2006
Learning to Read
Learning to read in any language depends on a strong foundation of oral competence in that language. (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2000). Telling children stories and having them tell or retell stories is are two ways to do this. Writing stories with children is another.
3/6/2006
Phonological and Phonemic Awareness
Phonological and phonemic awareness are essential prerequisites for learning to read and write in an alphabetic system (Connecticut State Department of Education, 2000). One way to accomplish this is to help children put their own stories on paper so that they can see how phonemes make the sounds that produce words that they already know.
3/3/2006
25 Books and 30,000 Words
All children should read (or be read to) 25 books per year. They will need a vocabulary of 30,000 words before they enter college. One way to promote reading and build vocabulary is to have children write down stories of their own. For small children, parents can take dictation while the child draws the pictures.
3/1/2006
Make Your Own Classroon Books
Many teachers are unhappy with reading material printed by big publishers. Now you can write your own material and publish it as a high quality board book from your home or classroom. You can now print any quantity from 1 to 100 copies of a children's board book that you wrote and designed for less than $5.00 per copy. You can also publish "student best sellers" that your students wrote. See our website at
www.blankslatebooks.com
www.blankslatebooks.com
2/26/2006
Writing to Read
Much of the debate on early childhood education focuses on reading. However, a friend of ours writes: In a lifetime of teaching 450 children to read, I have never relied exclusively on phonics, but have always begun by writing down children’s thoughts and experiences, which – as if by magic—nonreaders can read back Jean Katzenberg, NY Times 2002
2/24/2006
New Book Templates
We now have available on line templates for some of our favorite books. If you have a book you would like to post, let us know.
Team Blog Posting
Hi, I am Diane Gross. I will also be posting to the Childhood Literacy Digest and wanted to say hello and welcome you as well.
2/21/2006
Welcome to Our Blog, Childhood Literacy Digest
Welcome to the Childhood Literacy Digest! This is our first post. In this blog we will work hard to keep you informed and up-to date on a wide variety of childhood literacy topics from early learning tools all the way to academic articles about childhood development.
We encourage your involvement. Please feel free to post anonymously to our blog or add your name and Web address. We invite your comments and participation.
To make it easy for you to follow our posts, we have created special one click subscription links to popular home pages that are atom or RSS feed enabled. If you subscribe, you will see our posts within minutes of publishing.
If you have comments or topics that you would like for us to research or discuss, please feel free to contact me, Ben Gross, or Diane Gross. We would be happy to respond and focus on a topic of your choice.
Once again Welcome! We look forward to keeping you informed and entertained.
We encourage your involvement. Please feel free to post anonymously to our blog or add your name and Web address. We invite your comments and participation.
To make it easy for you to follow our posts, we have created special one click subscription links to popular home pages that are atom or RSS feed enabled. If you subscribe, you will see our posts within minutes of publishing.
If you have comments or topics that you would like for us to research or discuss, please feel free to contact me, Ben Gross, or Diane Gross. We would be happy to respond and focus on a topic of your choice.
Once again Welcome! We look forward to keeping you informed and entertained.
