THE COMPARISON OF CHILDREN LITERACY

SKILLS IN PRESCHOOL AND KINDERGARTEN

TOPIC 4
LEARNING OUTCOMES
By the end of the chapter, students should be able to :

• Implement the approaches in teaching listening and speaking

skills in preschool and kindergarten.
• Implement the approaches in reading skills in preschool and
kindergarten.
•Implement the approaches in writing skills in preschool and
kindergarten.
ELEMENTS IN LITERACY
Listening

Writing Literacy Speaking

Reading
LISTENING
AND
SPEAKING
LISTENING SKILL
Listening skill refers to the ability:

 to listen
 accurately receive and interpret messages in the communication
process. 
 understand and respond effectively to oral communication.
 Children develop a more sophisticated ability to understand the world around them
and their relationship to the world.

 More attention needs to be given to listening skills so that children build their
vocabularies and learn to listen attentively (Rose, 2006).

 Children will master language from what they listened

 Children will start off with listening skill then with speaking.

 Listening is the first step of speaking. Children will listen, mimic and speak.
SPEAKING SKILL
 Speaking is an act of making vocal sounds.

 We can say that speaking means to converse, or expressing one's thoughts and feelings
in spoken language.

 To speak often implies conveying information. It may be from an informal remark to a

scholarly presentation to a formal address.

 Speaking skills are the skills that give us the ability to communicate effectively.
HOW THE CHILDREN TO
DEVELOP THEIR LISTENING
AND SPEAKING SKILLS?
LISTEN AND IMITATE SOUND

 Children imitate our sounds and words and turn those imitations
into language.

At the beginning stage, they will choose the sounds that they want
to imitate. Not all the sounds will be imitated
 The kids will start making the sounds by doing babbling and cooing

a stage of infants’
series of syllabic
prelinguistic speech
repetitions
development and consists
From one syllabic sound of the production of single
babbling: the children syllable, vowel-like sounds
start to make two-
syllable repetitive
babbling where they
combine two or more
different sounds
 Once the children familiar with the auditory sensations and motor
adjustments necessary to make and change sounds, they proceed from
differential babbling to the imitation of linguistic and nonlinguistic
sounds they hear.

This process must be encouraged by other people, who should match

the children’s effforts by modeling new structures for him to imitate.

they add /d/, /t/, /ng/ and /w/
sounds to it along with such
vowel sounds as /ah/ and /eh/
The vocalization of m-m-m
sounds while crying also
begins.
begin producing single
words such as “mama”
vocal variety is used and “dada”, since word
patterns now become
in babbling
associated with meaning
and represent concepts.
child listens and imitates
simple sounds as the parents
respond to his or her
vocalization.
LISTEN AND UNDERSTAND SIMPLE WORDS AND
INSTRUCTIONS.

At 3 years old
 they understand fairly specific statements and continue to respond to simple
commands and questions
“Give that to Mommy”
“Show me a dog”
“Put your finger on your nose”
“Where is your ear?”

 imitate and eventually to generate two-to-four-word sentences.

 Their vocabulary is now in the range of two hundred to three hundred words.
 The use of complete sentences should be encouraged at this state.
 Use narrative or parallel talking; if they understand what the child is saying, they
should
repeat it using a complete sentence.

A child plays with the piano: the adult can say, “Katie is playing the piano”.
A child wants something badly: use more words to explain: “Jane needs some milk now”.

This sort of activity provides a good model for the child and helps organize thinking,
expressive language, structured sentences, and vocabulary.
TELL STORIES
 helps create a bond between child and parent and helps in developing
listening
skills.
Good listening skills are important for the development of language, social
and
word skills in children
Listening doesn’t just mean understanding sound but also auditory
perceptions, which
essentially means processing what has been heard.
an important activity that can help children build excellent listening skills.
4 TIPS FOR DEVELOPING LISTENING SKILLS IN CHILDREN

Remember the Importance of

Storytelling

Set a Reading Routine

Choose Good Books

Impact of Storytelling
 GUIDED LISTENING TECHNIQUE.

Before reading, talk about the title of the book and what it might be about

Ask the student to share her ideas as well

During reading stop at appropriate times during the story and reflect with the
student about what the reader is thinking about.

Relate the events in the story to prior knowledge and experience

Ask questions about what is unknown and predict what might
happen next.

After reading, discuss what actually occurred in the story,

following up on predictions that were made.

Start asking how she feels about the story and clarify concepts that
may have been confusing

Think about objects, or experiences that may be provided for

further clarification
 SING SONG
 Singing nursery rhymes and songs to children as young as babies
can help develop
their language and communication skills from an early age.
 props, music or musical instruments
 Will help engage the children and they are more likely to sit and
participate in the
songs
 can also help develop children’s social skills as it is a great
opportunity for children
to get to know their peers.
 Nursery rhymes will support children’s communication and language development at
whatever stage

 Example: older children may be beginning to learn to rhyme, whereas younger children
may still be at the stage of learning new words.

 Introducing children to a variety of nursery rhymes can help them understand and learn
about
different sounds.

Listening to different sounds in the environment provides children with

the foundations in helping them to read and write.
 Children relish in listening to songs full of rhyming, rhythm and repetition. These core
elements
it is helping boost children’s language, communications and literacy development.
WHY IS SINGING NURSERY RHYMES AND SONGS IMPORTANT

Develop their
Children learn non-verbal Learn early math
new words communications skills
skills

Children
Enables children
understand how
to copy actions
words are formed
 It boasts children
Children learn about
language Helps develop
different beats and
communication and children’s social skills
rhythms
literacy skills

Provides the
opportunity for Creates a close
children to value relationship between
language and become adult and child
confident learners.
ADULT’S ROLE IN SINGING NURSERY RHYMES
AND SONGS
Sing
songs
Be
slowly
confident
and
clearly

Use
Use a
clear
props to
tone support
the songs
Use
Involve actions,
childre pictures or
widget
n symbol
READING SKILLS
process of getting meaning from print. Early reading includes the direct teaching of
words and sounds.
Need to know
 written alphabet
 sound-symbol relationships
 concepts of print
THREE COMPONENTS OF
READINGS
RETENTION
COMPREHENSION
Retention
It is defined as the
requires both
level of understanding
DECODING decoding and
of a text/message.
Decoding refers comprehending
This understanding
to the process of what is written.
comes from the
translating a This task relies on
interaction between
printed word into high level
the words that are
cognitive skills,
a sound. written and how they
including memory
trigger knowledge
and the ability to
outside the
group and retrieve
text/message.
related ideas.
learning to read in their primary language is easier because it builds on
the words and sound structures of the language they know best.
However, children at the kindergarten level are little sponges who learn
what they are taught.
If they are taught to read in two languages simultaneously, they will
learn. If they are taught to read in English only, they will learn.
The key to learning to read (and preventing reading difficulties in one
or two languages) is excellent instruction.
It is also important to remember that the basic skills that serve as the
base for reading, such as phonetic recognition, transfer from one
language to another.
If a student who is learning English has already acquired these skills in
their first language, it is not necessary to learn them again in English.
It is always a good idea to find out if the child knows these skills in
their first language before beginning to teach them in English.
Classroom strategies: Pre-reading and reading

Oral
Phonemic Alphabet
language
awareness knowledge
activities
Decoding
Listening
Concepts of and
comprehensi
print comprehensi
on
on
ORAL LANGUAGE ACTIVITIES
Role playing or pantomiming
Using gestures
Showing real objects
Pointing to pictures
Doing quick drawings on the board
Using the Spanish equivalent and then asking students to say the word in English
PHONEMIC AWARENESS
(THE ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT SPOKEN WORDS ARE COMPOSED OF SMALLER
UNITS OF SOUND.)

Finding objects in the classroom whose names begin or

end with the same sound.
Doing clapping activities to identify the syllables in words
Learning poetry and songs that have the same beginning
sounds or end in rhyme
Analyzing each other's names to make discoveries about
letters and sounds.
Making charts about letter/sound discoveries (For
example: "Here are three new letters. Let's write some
words under each letter.")
ALPHABET KNOWLEDGE
they can begin to learn the names of the letters. For ELLs, it is easier to hear the
sounds first and then label each letter
CONCEPTS OF PRINT
(HOW BOOKS WORK)

The book's front and back covers, title, and author

The left-to-right direction of print
What a word looks like and what the space between words looks like
The fact that you are reading the words
How inflection and intonation are used to connect content and
structure of the text
The differences between question marks, exclamation marks, and
periods
LISTENING COMPREHENSION
Reading out loud
Introduce the characteristics/elements of the story (characters, setting, problem,
solution, plot)
Explain words, topics, or concepts that ELLs may not be familiar with
Model how a reader self-corrects when making a mistake
Think aloud about what you are reading
Provide opportunities for children to retell the story they heard through dramatic
retellings; or use picture cards to put the story's events in sequence
DECODING AND COMPREHENSION

by clarifying concepts, teaching unknown words, asking questions about the story,
and letting children connect these stories to their own experiences.
SHARED READING
Shared reading is a group activity.
acquiring skills
 building vocabulary
 learning story elements
 tracking reading left to right
 word to word
SHARED READING ACTIVITIES

•dramatic play
•echo
•Choral reading
• narrative
storyboarding

• board game
PRETEND READING

When a child pretends to talk on the phone, he might also pick up a familiar book
and tell the story with a stuffed animal in his lap.
WRITING SKILLS
Writing skills are an important part of communication.
Most children enter kindergarten with basic writing skills that include scribbling and
drawing.
PRE-WRITING
These skills contribute to the child’s ability to hold and use a pencil, and the ability
to draw, write, copy, and colour

These strokes include the following strokes: |, —, O, +, /, square, \, X, and Δ.

PRE-WRITING
Hand and finger strength: An ability to exert force against resistance using the
hands and fingers that allows the necessary muscle power for controlled movement
of the pencil.

Crossing the mid-line: The ability to cross the imaginary line running from a
person’s nose to pelvis that divides the body into left and right sides.
Pencil grasp: The efficiency of how the pencil is held, allowing age appropriate
pencil movement generation.

Hand eye coordination: The ability to process information received from the eyes
to control, guide and direct the hands in the performance of a task such as
handwriting.
Bilateral integration: Using two hands together with one hand leading (e.g. holding
and moving the pencil with the dominant hand while the other hand helps by holding
the writing paper).

Upper body strength: The strength and stability provided by the shoulder to allow
controlled hand movement for good pencil control.
Object manipulation: The ability to skilfully manipulate tools (including holding
and moving pencils and scissors) and controlled use of everyday tools (such as a
toothbrush, hairbrush, cutlery).

Visual perception: The brain’s ability to interpret and make sense of visual images
seen by the eyes, such as letters and numbers.
Hand dominance: The consistent use of one (usually the same) hand for task
performance, which allows refined skills to develop.

Hand division: Using just the thumb, index and middle finger for manipulation,
leaving the fourth and little finger tucked into the palm stabilizing the other fingers
but not participating.
IF A CHILD HAS DIFFICULTIES WITH
WRITING READINESS THEY MIGHT:
Have an awkward pencil grasp.

Have difficulty controlling a pencil for colouring, drawing or writing.

Show a tendency to use their whole hand to manipulate objects rather

than just a few fingers.

Have poor endurance for pencil based activities.

Display messy and/or slow handwriting.

Have difficulty staying within the lines when colouring.

Apply inappropriate pressure to the paper for pencil based

activities (either too heavy and frequently breaks the pencil,
or too light and ‘spidery’).

Have poor upper limb strength (weak shoulders).

Have difficulty coordinating both hands together for two
handed tasks.

Have poor hand-eye coordination

Be verbally skilled but has difficulty showing this on

paper (i.e. writing, drawing or colouring).

Not meet the pre-writing expectations outlined below.

Age Pre-writing expectation
1 -2 years • Randomly scribbles
• Spontaneously scribbles in
vertical/horizontal and/or circular
direction
• Imitates a horizontal/vertical/circular
direction

2 – 3 years • Imitates a horizontal line

• Imitates a vertical line
• Imitates a circle
3 – 4 years • Copies a horizontal line
• Copies a vertical line
• Copies a circle
• Imitates  +
• Imitates  / and \
• Imitates a square
4 -5 years • Copies a +
• Traces a line
• Copies a square
• Copies a / and \
• Imitates  X
• Imitates  Δ
• Grasps pencil in writing position
5 -6 years • Copies  X
• Copies  Δ
• Recognises between a big and small
line or curve
WHEN A CHILD HAS WRITING READINESS
DIFFICULTIES, THEY MIGHT ALSO HAVE
DIFFICULTIES WITH:
Behaviour

Self esteem

Academic performance

Self care

Avoidance
WHAT CAN BE DONE TO IMPROVE
WRITING READINESS (PRE-WRITING)
SKILLS?
Hand Poking and
Experience
dominance pointing

Hand and
Sensory
Praise finger
play 
strength 
Hand-eye
Upper limb
coordinatio
strength
n
WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN HELP IMPROVE
WRITING READINESS (PRE-WRITING)
SKILLS? Threading and
lacing 

Play-
Drawing or
doh (playdough)
writing 
 

Tongs or teabag
Scissor
squeezers 
WHAT ACTIVITIES CAN HELP IMPROVE
WRITING READINESS (PRE-WRITING)
SKILLS? Every day
activities 

Constructio Pre writing

n shapes

Finger
Craft 
games
9 STEPS TO TEACH WRITING
Make sure that all students have strong letter recognition skills. You cannot teach
kindergarten writing to children who struggle with letter recognition. It's okay if they
write some letters backwards, as long as they know what all letters look like.

Teach children that writing goes from left to right by demonstrating on a chalk or
white board.

Create a word wall with common sight words that children commonly need to use in
writing. This will appeal to students with a natural writing ability, since they know
they are spelling and using the words correctly in their writing.
9 STEPS TO TEACH WRITING
Integrate kindergarten writing activities with drawing or painting. Kids enjoy being creative, and
being able to write about something that they created will help them relate personally to the
writing.
Have them draw anything they want and write a sentence or words describing the picture. For
young kindergartners, don't focus on capitalization or punctuation until later in the year.
Provide a question or fun idea for the kids to draw about, then have them write a sentence or
words that describe the picture.

Mesh your writing instruction with phonics instruction. As kids begin to remember all the letter
sounds, they can start trying to spell words on their own. This helps them write independently
and advance from using only a few letters in their writing to creating words, although many will
be misspelled.
9 STEPS TO TEACH WRITING
Use a handwriting copybook or worksheets throughout the year. The repetition will insure
that kids know proper pencil direction when writing letters and understand how to write
upper- and lower-case letters on lined paper..

Have students keep a writing journal. Encourage kindergartners to write in their journals
daily, using a prompt you provide or their own idea. There are writing journals available
that have a large blank space on top for an illustration and lined paper beneath for a
sentence or story.

Take a mid-year assessment to determine how to develop kindergarten writing skills for
the rest of the year. This will let you know if students are ready to move onto the minor
mechanics of writing, such as adding periods and capitalization, or if they still need help
organizing and writing down ideas.