Assignment: Reflective Journal 11

Chapter twelve: Teaching Children to Communicate: Language, Literacy, and the Arts
This chapter addresses fundamental areas of early childhood curriculum such as language
and literacy, but it also addresses arts as an essential means of communication for young
children. This reminded me of my class of Content and Methods of Teaching Elementary Art
because I learned that we could use the art for everything. With art, we can make a connection
with math, science, and literacy. So, this shows that we can learn the language in many ways.
Children gradually learn a language over many years from verbal interaction with adults and
other children; for that reason, it is important the social and emotional development of the child.
Language development follows a relatively predictable sequence, but there is a wide range of
individual variation that is well within the scope of ordinary.
Research-based vocabulary-building strategies include one-to-one and extended
conversations, listening, decontextualized speech, intentional teaching of new and rare words,
interactive book reading, and play. For example, the development of second language acquisition
is similar but not identical to fist language learning. To help children acquire English while also
maintaining their home language, teachers must work effectively with parents and use proven
classroom strategies, including play, as mentioned before. Literacy is the result of many
cumulative, interrelated experiences beginning at birth. Research demonstrates that there is a
specific set of early literacy skills and knowledge that predict later success in learning to read
and write: phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, print awareness, and vocabulary. Other
essential skills that contribute to later reading ability include early writing, listening
comprehension, motivation to learn, and background knowledge. As future educators, especially

early childhood education, we should inform the parents that literacy starts at home, and we, the
teacher, reinforce that background knowledge and improve it. This professional career, early
childhood education, is a career where we have to work as a team with the parents.
Furthermore, conventional reading is the ability to gain meaning from unfamiliar text.
The most effective reading instruction helps children master the alphabetic principle and acquire
meaning from text in what is called a balanced approach. Components of an evidence-based
reading program include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Motivation is the key to reading.
However, when we, future educators, start teaching, we have to follow the standards for
each subject. So, the Common Core English Language Arts Standards emphasize students’
developing higher-order thinking skills by reading complex texts with academic vocabulary,
analyzing evidence, and gaining content knowledge from information books. But how can we
implement an effective curriculum for younger children? Well, children learn to communicate
through creative arts — for example, visual arts, music, movement, dance, drama, and media
arts. The arts promote the development of symbolic representation, creativity, and visual literacy.
Children’s enjoyment and accomplishment in the creative arts depends on teachers providing
adequate materials, time, and instruction in specific artistic skill. I have always heard, and I agree
with is that the best way to get the student to engage in the topic we want to teach is to be
organized by doing the lesson plan. A lesson plan will help teachers to be prepared to get the best
from the student.
Teach language arts seem to be difficult, but it is something that comes naturally to the
children with time. Some take more time to talk or write than others. Teachers should not
pressure young children to talk. Effective communication begins as babies pay attention and

respond. When the child initiates, teachers need to respond enthusiastically and then wait for a
response. Overall, this chapter helped me to understand what to teach related to language and
understand how to support language development in babies and toddlers.