Website Archive - June
Spotlight on Language
This month’s topic is language - Children need communication skills to be able to speak and let people know what they want and need and to share their ideas with others. Child care teachers play a vital role in helping children develop oral language, and eventually, to learn to read and write. This month, our spotlight is on websites which offer insights for parents and teachers on language development and activities for parents, teachers, and children to explore.
Children
For reading and writing games and activities, visit RIF READING PLANET. Reading is Fundamental’s The Game Station offers language-building activities such as Sink It ‘n Solve It, Picture Pairs, Poetry Pairs, Word Builder, Supermarket Spree. Children will need some adult assistance with most activities. The Book Zone has illustrated stories that children can listen to as they read, and Express Yourself offers an online coloring book as well as an e-postcard for children to send to friends and family.
The Literacy Center.Net – The Early Childhood Education Network™
This colorful site offer nine basic activities in four languages (English, Spanish, German, and French). Through very simply designed activities, children learn to recognize colors, phonemes, letters, numbers, and shapes and to use computer keyboard basics.
Parents
Reading is Fundamental’s (RIF) Parents Site
Reading is Fundamental’s (RIF) goal is “Creating a Nation of Lifelong Readers” and RIF offers a special web section for parents which explains the RIF program as well as offers solid and practical advice for building strong readers. This page also links to the children’s Reading Planet.
The Literacy Center.Net – The Early Childhood Education Network™
This colorful site offer nine basic activities in four languages (English, Spanish, German, and French). Through very simply designed activities, children learn to recognize colors, phonemes, letters, numbers, and shapes and to use computer keyboard basics. The Parents and Teachers section explains how each lesson is part of the early language experience.
Let's Talk About It: - Fostering the Development of Language Skills and Emergent Literacy
Articles and tips for parents and teachers about how children develop language and literacy skills can be found at this site as well as a short video which discusses role-playing, language-developing activities, and recommended book lists.
Teachers
Let's Talk About It: - Fostering the Development of Language Skills and Emergent Literacy
Articles and tips for parents and teachers about how children develop language and literacy skills can be found at this site as well as a short video which discusses role-playing, language-developing activities, and recommended book lists.
Creative Drama offers lots of ideas for incorporating drama in the classroom. Although the Plays and Theatre Games are intended for older children, the Classroom Ideas section offers a list of easy to collect props for creating “instant” classroom theatre.
Taking Delight in Words Using Oral Language To Build Young Children's Vocabularies
This article Taking Delight in Words Using Oral Language To Build Young Children's Vocabularies by Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, and Linda Kucan (American Educator Magazine, Spring 2003) discusses how young children develop vocabularies and includes sequenced activities for teaching words and activities that encourage children to interact with words.
It seems like it’s been around forever, but now you can experience the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) program online. Filled with RIF favorites, including reading activity calendars, read aloud stories, Spanish-language resources, literacy games, newsletters, and summer reading resources, this is a great early language site. Lots of resources for teachers and parents at this site.
The Literacy Center.Net – The Early Childhood Education Network™
This colorful site offer nine basic activities in four languages (English, Spanish, German, and French). Through very simply designed activities, children learn to recognize colors, phonemes, letters, numbers, and shapes and to use computer keyboard basics. The Parents and Teachers section explains how each lesson is part of the early language experience.
Storytelling and Pre-Schoolers: Getting and holding the nursery child's attention?
There is a strong connection between storytelling and literacy. Listening to storytellers provides young learners with the opportunity to develop oral language. If storytelling is new to you, read Storytelling and Pre-Schoolers: Getting and holding the nursery child's attention? A Teaching Outline by Wendy Welch. Wendy Welch is the founder of the Storytelling Section of the American Folklore Society. In this article, she provides a step-by-step approach to selecting and effectively telling stories to preschoolers. With a little practice, you’ll become a storyteller and take your children on magical journeys within your classroom.
[Updated on June 22, 2005]
