LRC 312C: Spring, 2012

LRC 312c: Early Language and Literacy Development (3 units)

College of Education

COURSE SYLLABUS[1]

Course Description

This course focuses on theories of language and emergent literacy development and how these theories inform practice in early childhood education, particularly as they apply to children birth through age 8. The acquisition of the sounds, syntax and meanings of language (both lexical and pragmatic) as well as the relation between oral language development and concepts of print, emergent literacy, family and community contexts are examined along with issues stemming from language diversity. This course will emphasize the community context and practices that influence the language development of children. Also covered is the body of research in basic science and pedagogy, which undergirds both the knowledge of early childhood development as well as designing effective curriculum and instruction in a variety of early childhood and primary classroom settings.

Expanded Course Description

LRC 312c focuses on several theories of language development and early literacy and how these theories inform practice in early childhood education for children birth through age 8. Specifically, we will study the acquisition of the sounds of language, the syntax and meanings of language (both lexical and pragmatic), the relation between oral language development, concepts of print, emergent literacy, and the metaphor of the “hundred languages” within the contexts of home, family, community and school. We will also examine issues stemming from language diversity in both private and public schools including English literacy, native-language literacy, biliteracy, and the impact of language educational policies and programs on young language minority students and their families. This particular semester, an emphasis on community context will provide pre-service teachers to not only learn about how community context impacts children’s language and literacy development, but also become actively involved in several community projects, workshops, or events taking place in the larger Tucson community. Actively participating in such events will grant pre-service teachers to better understand the relationship between language and literacy development within the context of community. The purpose of these activities is to broaden the understanding of language and literacy developing beyond the home and beyond commonly accepted forms of literacy because literacy can be found in various domains and through different expressive means. The relationship between language and literacy and characteristics of effective curriculum and instruction will also be examined based on current educational research and teachers' action research in various early childhood and classroom settings.

Course Purpose and Objectives

The purpose of LRC 312c is to provide students with the knowledge and critical thinking to explore and understand different aspects of children’s language development, emergent literacy, developmentally appropriate assessment practices, and research-based design principles that guide curriculum development and instruction.

The following are the course objectives and Arizona and NAEYC professional standard to which they are linked:

¨     Students will understand the process of oral and written language acquisition and development in early childhood (AZ Standards for Teaching 8.4; NAEYC Standard 1; AZ Early Learning Standard Language & Literacy Development, strands 1-3).

¨     Students will understand the process of oral and written language socialization in early childhood (AZ Standards for Teaching 5 & 7.4; NAEYC Standard 4; AZ Early Learning Standards: Social & Emotional Development, strands 1-4; Language & Literacy Development, strands 1-3; Social Studies Development, strand 4).

¨     Students will explore the relationship between language and literacy with particular reference to young English language learners (AZ Standards for Teaching 8.6; NAEYC Standards 1 & 4; AZ Early Learning Standard: Language & Literacy Development--strands 1-3).

¨     Students will use performance assessment strategies to evaluate young children’s language and literacy knowledge (AZ Standards for Teaching 2.1 4.2, 4.3, & 4.5; NAEYC Standards 3 & 4).

¨     Students will understand the influence of cultural, social, and political factors on the development of early language and literacy (AZ Standards for Teaching 1.4, 1.5 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, & 2.4; NAEYC Standards 1 & 4; AZ Early Learning Standards: Social Emotional Development, strand 1-4; Social Studies Development, strand 4).

¨     Students will understand the relationship of theory to practices affecting young language learners (AZ Standards for Teaching 1.7, 1.8, 1.12, 2.9, & 2.10; NAEYC Standards 1, 3, & 4; AZ Early Learning Standard: Language & Literacy, strands 1 & 2).

The UA Early Childhood Education Program is supported by a grant by the Helios Educational Foundation. Therefore, in addition to the State and NAEYC standards, we have redesigned our program to follow four core principles based on the above standards and outstanding research on the field of early childhood education. The UA ECE Principles, established and designed by the UA CREATE project (see website createarizona.org) are the following:

Principle 1: Promote early childhood educators' understanding of the cultural knowledge and

competencies (“funds of knowledge”) within diverse cultural communities.

Principle 2: Use stories as a base for children’s understanding of themselves and others.

Principle 3: Involve families in literacy education for children – and for teachers.

Principle 4: Provide prospective and practicing teachers and teacher educators with opportunities

to work and reflect together in community and school settings.

Website Links to Professional Standards

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC): http://www.naeyc.org/faculty/pdf/2001.pdf

Arizona Early Learning Standards: http://www.ade.state.az.us/earlychildhood/downloads/EarlyLearningStandards.pdf

Arizona Professional Teacher Standards: http://www.ade.state.az.us/certification/downloads/Teacherstandards.pdf

Required Texts

1. Otto, B. (2008). Literacy development in early childhood: Reflective teaching for birth to age 8. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
2. Owocki, G., & Goodman, Y. (2002). Kidwatching: Documenting children’s literacy development. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
3. Gandini, L., & Edwards, C.P. (Eds.). Bambini; The Italian Approach to Infant/Toddler Care. New York: Teachers College.

Recommended Texts

Otto, B. (2010). Language development in early childhood (3^rd edition.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.

Edwards, C., Gandini, L. & Forman, G. (1998) (Eds.). The Hundred Languages of Children: The Reggio Emilia Approach – Advanced Reflections (2^nd ed.) Wesport, CT: Ablex (Greenwood).

Assignments, Grading, and Classroom Decorum

Basic Classroom Policies

• Policy on Absences— In addition to religious holidays, students occasionally have business trips and/or family obligations that require them to miss class. I would appreciate the courtesy of informing me when you will miss a class; even so, it is expected that you will obtain notes and information about class assignments from other students so that you will be prepared for the next class. (If you have specific group responsibilities, you should notify your group members as a courtesy.) Students who are absent from class for the observance of a religious holiday will be allowed to take an examination or complete an assignment scheduled for that day within a reasonable time frame after the absence. Notification must be made in writing and delivered in person to instructor.

However, missing too many classes suggests it may not be possible for you to achieve the course objectives—which include a substantial small group work and class discussion. Students who have to miss more than two classes are advised to drop the course. For the most part, students missing 2 classes without an excused absence should not expect to receive a grade higher than a B. In general, absences are excused under the following conditions: (a) all holidays or special events observed by organized religions will be honored for those students who show affiliation with that religion; and (b) absences approved by the UA Dean of Students (or Dean’s designee) will be honored.

Class participation—Students are expected to arrive in class on time, prepared and ready to participate. Participation means actively contributing to discussions that will occur in class by listening to others, asking questions and taking part in whole class and small group discussion. Regular attendance means coming on time, staying for the entire class session and attending outside-of-class activities (when assigned). Students who are frequently unprepared may receive a lower grade in the class. Class participation is essential for the success of this course. In addition, 3-5 questions will be posted Sundays on D2L, which will guide you through your readings; in addition to helping you to think critically thinking about your readings. Questions will also serve as suggested topics discussed in class.

• Assignments—Late Projects. While “life happens” or computers crash when we least expect it, good time management of your work in this class is critical to successful course completion. As a result, some flexibility is built into the assignment of project/paper due dates. You are expected, however, to turn in projects on the date due unless you have been granted permission by the course instructor well in advance of the due date (no less than 2 days). Papers or assignments that are not delivered on the due date where no allowance has been made will be reduced by one-third of a letter grade for each day the product is late. (One third of a letter grade represents, for example, moving from an A- to a B+). NOTE: There are computers and printers available in the computer lab (4^th floor), therefore, in general, computer/ printer failure is not an excuse for late assignments.
• Students with Disabilities. If you anticipate issues related to the format or requirements of this course, please meet with me. I would like us to discuss ways to ensure your full participation in the course. If you determine that formal, disability-related accommodations are necessary, it is very important that you be registered with Disability Resources (621-3268; drc.arizona.edu; 1224 E. Lowell Street) and notify me of your eligibility for reasonable accommodations. We can then plan how best to coordinate them. NOTE: Instructors are not allowed to provide classroom accommodations to a student until appropriate verification from Student Disability Services has been provided.
• Policy on Cell Phones. Please turn off cell phones and beepers so as not to disturb others during class time (this means no cell phones on working tables). Advise the instructor when personal circumstances require any different communication access.
• Policy on Computers or iPads. 10% of your grade depends on participation, which will be graded at the end of the semester points at the end of the semester for excellent attentiveness to, and participation in, class activities. Inattentive or disruptive behavior in class will result in a loss of points from your class participation grade. Texting or other use of cell phones in class will result in a deduction from your class participation grade, as will inappropriate use of computer devices, as described in the pertinent section below. Use of computer during class is only allowed if used for class activities (not for texting or emailing or twitting).. Instructors will let students know in advance if computers will be needed for a particular session to complete an assignment. Advise the instructors when personal circumstances require any different communication access.
• Format for written papers. All written assignments must be typed and double-spaced on a 12” font with 1” margins following the style guidelines of the 5^th Edition of the American Psychological Association (APA). This style manual is available online through a website at Purdue University http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/)

or in paperback for purchase in the bookstore. Assignments are due at the beginning of class period, on the dates indicated in the course outline. Assignments not meeting the above criteria will not receive credit.

Evaluation Process

There are three major assignments that students will work in pairs and complete together to demonstrate mastery of course competencies and content. Each assignment will be given a letter grade value (A, A-, B+, B, etc.) The letter grade point value (4.0, 3.7, 3.3, 3.0) will be multiplied by its percentage weight, then summed along with the participation grade (10%) to determine the final grade in the course. In addition, you are expected to write a 3-4 doubled-spaced reflection after each assignment, which will be turned in to d2l dropbox at soon as you have completed the assignment. A reflection should be representative of your own learning process; therefore, all reflections will be turned in by every student in D2L.

1. Attendance, Reading and Class Participation (10%).

Students are expected to do the reading BEFORE class, so that you can contribute meaningfully to class discussion. Class participation in lecture and part of small group discussion are part of this grade. In addition, participation in literacy community and family events will count also as part of class participation and you will be expected to attend (see minimum participation requirements as part of your final assignment). Use of cell phones or other electronic devices during class will result in a deduction from your class participation grade

1. Language Observation Assessment and Socio-cultural Family and Community knowledge Case Study: Part I (30%).

Part a. Oral Language Development Assessment (Home Visit 4): Audio or video-tape an infant, toddler, or young preschool child verbalizing in his or her home language for a total of 45 minutes. You may need to tape multiple episodes. Transcribe (about 10-15 mins) and analyze the vocalizations for specific words and their relation to the child’s home environment and the context in which that verbalization and interaction happened (e.g., who participated in this interaction, where in the home was the interaction taking place). For example, if the child is at the telegraphic speech stage, analyze the verbalizations for the syntactic-semantic-patterns discussed in your textbook or if the child is using (or not) regular verb conjugation to express him/her-self, or other aspects of her/his 100 languages for communicating and expressing her/his ideas and theories (Language Development in Early Childhood, chapters 4 & 5). We will be discussing the various themes throughout the first half of the semester.

Part b. Socio-Cultural Knowledge and Family Interview/Dialogue (Home Visit 5): Prepare the appropriate surveys and interview questions (in the heritage language if needed) following the guidelines in Kidwatching chapter 2 and discussion with your classmate and instructors (you could also draw from your previous semester LRC 411 surveys). Then, arrange with your assigned case study family and preschool aged child who is becoming aware of print and conventional reading, a home visit with the parents or other family members to learn about the language and literacy environment and the literacy funds of knowledge and family literacy practices that this child is exposed to at home and in his or her community.

Part c. Community Literacy Walk

The print that surrounds children in urban communities can provide an excellent source of literacy conversation and learning. By taking literacy walks with children in their community, teachers can learn much about children’s everyday literacy and their worlds. Faulstich Orellana -1999.

As part of this project we will take a literacy walk around your site and community to explore the print environment that is part of the children’s everyday routine. We will do our first literacy walk during class time (TBD) and will divide in small groups to document the print environment and other literacies that are part of the student’s everyday literacy environments (make sure to read chapter 3 in Kidwatching and the assigned D2L readings).

Part d. Developmental Case Study: Summary and Presentation Part I

For your midterm assignment summarize your observations and oral language and literacy assessment from the various parts of the project (see a-c above) in a 6-8 page, double-spaced paper format. Share what you learned from this experience, including the following:

¨     Write a description of the child, including their age, sex, past experience with books and literacy environment, and relationship with you;

¨     What did you learn from your interview with the child’s family?

¨     What happened during your home visit?

¨     What did you learn about the child’s home language and literacy environment?

¨     What did you learn about the child’s community and neighborhood as part of the literacy walk?

¨     What did you learn about the child’s literacy environment and neighborhood as part of the literacy walk?

¨     How are home and community influencing language and literacy development of the child?

¨     What particular activities within the home and community are helping the child develop language and literacy?

DUE: March 8, 2012

3. In-class Quarterly Exam (20%). The written, in-class exam will give students an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of the material presented so far in the semester. This will include multiple choice, short answer and conceptual essay questions. We will review in advanced the major themes and chapters to be covered for the exam.

Exam Date: February 23, 2012

4. Child and Family Language and Literacy Development Case Study Documentation & Presentation (Part II)—Signature Assignment (40%). For this particular project, you will identify and select a preschool aged child (if possible follow the same child from language observation assignment-- Part I) who is just becoming aware of print, survey the parents or other caregivers, and carry out the interview and tasks with the child. For this final assignment you will add your knowledge and assessment of your case study’s literacy development during classroom instruction with her/his teacher and peers, and in other contexts such as home, park, or community activities. You and your class partner will analyze and present a longitudinal documentation of what you learned from this experience. Additional guidelines for this Case Study signature assignment will be distributed.

a. Write a description of how your case study child has grown and how s/he has developed emergent literacy throughout the year that you have spent with the child and her/his family. Specifically, you will choose two activities from the Kidwatching book (i.e., Books and Book Handling; Oral Reading and Miscues; Writing) and complete your year-long in-depth case study where you have been assessing the child’s language and literacy milestones. For this second part of the case study we will learn and explore beyond child and family’s literacy practices and funds of knowledge to include assessment from the child’s classroom and general community:

b. Describe your child’s case study classroom literacy environment

As part of this section you will schedule 1-2 visits to the child’s classroom in order to learn and describe her or his literacy environment and ways of learning to read and write in the classroom. You will be in contact with the child’s parents in order to ask permission to visit your child’s classroom.

Observe and reflect upon the various ways which emergent literacy is supported and enhanced by the classroom teacher, peers and/or others. Describe the types of activities and materials available and how children interact with them. Describe the manner in which your case study child was expressing her/himself visually as well as any writing attempts (emergent writing). If possible, include copies of the child’s work.

c. Describe his or her community literacy context based on a Community Literacy Walk or other Community Literacy event (see c1-c3):

c.1 If possible, you will take a literacy walk with your child case study around her/his home and community to explore the print environment that is part of the child’s everyday. You will document the print environment and other aspects that are part of the student’s literacy environment and will debrief with the child once you have pictures and other documentation available. You will describe this as part of your final documentation.

c.2. Community Literacy Canastas (baskets)

Students will have the option of participating and inviting the case study child to attend a Community Literacy Canasta event at the designated early childhood site. The purpose of the literacy canastas is to invite and engage children, families, ECE students and community members to participate by telling a story of their community by using and honoring the local literacies of the community (e.g., musical, oral, written, various materials as language). We will invite community leaders (e.g., oral story tellers, local singers) to participate by sharing one of their local literacies to engage and inspire us to tell a story. After one center has completed their story in a specific theme the canasta will travel to another early learning center with an invitation for community members to share their own story and add to a layer and pass the box to travel to the next early childhood learning community. Additional information on this project will be shared.

c.3 Literacy Night Event

Students will have the option of participating and inviting the case study child to attend a literacy event organized either by CREATE or other public literacy event (e.g., library event, community event) where you will interact and describe the child’s literacy interaction with family and peers.

d. Your documentation should describe the developmental and emerging process and literacy experiences of your child case study. You will also reflect and document your own process as a learner, Kidwatcher, and as an educator:

¨     What happened at each stage of the task with the different aids?

¨     What conclusions have you made about what young children believe about reading and the support that the different features of text give to readers (e.g. color, language, familiarity with the product)?

¨     What are your observations about this young child’s language and literacy development?

¨     What kind of language and literacy practices is this child exposed to at home and in the community?

¨     Finally, include a self-reflection on what you have learned as an educator and how have been able to develop a relationship with the family and child.

As part of your final documentation, you are expected to reflect on the observations made throughout the semester by making connections of what you learned about the target child both within the home and out in the community. Therefore, it is crucial for you to reflect after each assignment and you are expected to turn in a 3-4 doubled-spaced reflection after each of your assignments. Reflections will help you to record the process of your learning, make connections, and in in the end assist you in your final assignment. As a result, relate your observations, findings with the assigned readings from class in the language and literacy field. Students are expected to connect to the semester’s literature review on a specific aspect related to language and literacy development and provide examples from their case study to illustrate the main points in their documentation (additional information will be provided on documentation as a process and final exam). Discuss with your instructor the main topic that you’re interested in exploring for your final documentation and presentation. (Arizona Professional Teaching Standards: 1.1, 1.12, 3.3, 3.5, 4.2, 4.5, 7.5, 8.4, & 8.6; NAEYC Standards: 1, 2, 4, & 5; AZ Early Learning Standard: Language & Literacy, strands 1 & 2).

DUE: April 26^th, 2012

NOTE: My personal philosophy on academic reading in general is that it is better to read more slowly and deeply—particularly with intellectually challenging material—than quickly and widely just to cover a broad range of diverse work. However, one can cover a great deal of ground by reading “deeply” on a regular basis—in other words, daily reading adds up to a substantial amount in a very few years and over a lifetime.

So—read slowly, take notes, make marginal glosses, define the new terms you encounter, and write summaries to yourself regarding key points in each chapter. If you highlight—make a small note as to why this passage deserves such special distinction. Don’t wait until the last minute to do the reading since it may take several hours of reflection as well as two or three times through each chapter before you feel confident to talk about it—and you will be required to do this. In short, give yourself time to absorb the concepts and be patient with your initial rate of learning and understanding. It will increase over the semester as you will see.

Please review these websites regarding University of Arizona student policies:

Academic Conduct: http://dos.web.arizona.edu/uapolicies/

Disruptive behavior: http://web.arizona.edu/~policy/disruptive.pdf

Threatening behavior: http://policy.web.arizona.edu/threatening.pdf

Student Disabilities Center: http://drc.arizona.edu/teach/syllabus-statement.html

[1] Information in this syllabus may be subject to change or expansion with reasonable advance notice as deemed appropriate by the instructor.