What's so important about early literacy? Most parents know that reading together is a good way to bond with their children, but the essay below offers detailed information on the effects of early literacy promotion and literature-related activities on the cognitive development of babies and toddlers. The goals of this blog are tied to the significance of such literary exposure.
In August of this year, my 22-month-old son began attending a preschool program two mornings a week. Because he was such a young age, I found it difficult to prepare him for the experience; he didn’t have any school memories to reference, as he had been at home with me every morning of his life. On a whim, I picked up a copy of Linda Leopold Strauss’s Preschool Day Hooray! from a local bookstore and began reading it to him the weekend before classes started. On Saturday, we read the book and talked about the pictures; on Sunday, we read the book again and acted out some scenes from the story by making a hook for his bag and coat, fixing a snack for picky eaters, and doing the Hokey Pokey dance (Strauss 2010). By the time we entered his classroom on Monday, he was so excited about hanging up his bag and meeting his teachers that he had no trouble at all adjusting to the fact that he would be spending several hours without me. How much of this easy transition can I attribute to our reading activity? Although I would love to take all the credit myself for raising a marvelously adaptable and well-adjusted child, the truth is that Strauss’s words and ideas resonated with my son more than I had ever hoped. When I returned to his classroom to pick him up, he greeted me with a hug and proclaimed, “It’s mommy time!” These three words make up the concluding phrase of Strauss’s book; by repeating them, my son reminded me just how powerful books can be — and how empowered parents and caregivers can become when they learn to use literacy as a tool to further their child’s development.
By their eleventh month, babies actively search for information on concepts affecting their environments. Murkoff, Eisenberg and Hathaway (2005) maintain that although these early concepts may be as simple as hot and cold, up and down, in and out, empty and full, babies must learn to understand issues that seem so simple to adults that they are often taken for granted. By providing information on the basic conditions that make up the world around them, caregivers can help babies become aware of their environment and allow them to begin to develop an understanding of the way things work. By learning the basics of cause and effect, babies begin to understand the roles of people and things in their world, and they even begin to develop sensitivity to the needs and feelings of others (Murkoff, et al., 2005). Most importantly, gathering information on the basic concepts of existence and the relationship between cause and effect eventually allows babies to master communication, language, reading and comprehension.
Observing Babies in an Information Environment
How can caregivers ensure that babies receive adequate information to fulfill their developing and ever-changing needs? Certainly communication about and interaction with their environments are the basis for information seeking habits, and Acredolo and Goodwyn believe that reading is an important foundation and “more than any other skill, is the key to learning in every academic discipline” (2000, p. 107). Whether reading to bond, reading for fun, or reading to share knowledge, the verbal and cognitive interaction encompassed in reading is one way to satisfy babies’ information needs, even if the information is encountered passively.
To encourage the development of babies and toddlers, some libraries offer programs specifically geared toward children under age three. In its Guidelines for Library Services to Babies and Toddlers (2007), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) emphasizes the responsibility of parents to provide babies with learning experiences and materials, noting that in order to do so, parents need access to books, technology, and other multimedia.
Colburn and Freeny (1990), Fiore (1998), Greene (2004), Oser (2006), Ghoting and Martin-Diaz (2006), and Marino (2007), through direct experience and informal observation, have studied the way babies gather information through the use of literacy programs and note many beneficial developmental outcomes. Marino (2007) best sums up the importance of babies’ participation in reading-related activities when she states, “[T]he repetition of rich language presented in a warm, loving environment is some of the best, most nutritious food a baby can receive. . . . [I]t is important for us as librarians. . . to pay particular attention to them” (2007, pp. 1-2). As children’s librarians, Colburn and Freeny (1990) observe that parents have begun inquiring about literacy and information for children of increasingly younger ages; however, Fiore (1998) uncovers a gap in the information needs and satisfaction of pre-school children, pointing out that 1/3 of American children are not prepared for kindergarten (1998, p. 54). Neural development includes both the pruning of often-used and stimulated synapses and the elimination of underused ones. Because emergent minds seek both cognitive and emotional intelligence to thrive and appropriately support such development, the introduction of reading-related activities can provide much needed help to children and guidance to caregivers. In their experience with early literacy programs, Colburn and Freeny (1990) note the success of songs, rhymes, and simple books that focus on bold illustrations over text. Such simple stimulation can present new information to babies and toddlers in ways that allow them to grasp concepts and progress cerebrally.
From her experience as a counselor, developmental assessor, and children’s librarian, Oser (2006) observes successful information provision for babies and toddlers through exposure to multiple languages and participation in activities involving everyday objects such as cotton balls, cups, bubbles, balls, and stickers. Much of the stimulating information babies seek can be provided through repetition, consistency, parent gazing, active listening, verbal labeling, and formalized reading (Oser 2006). Similarly, Ghoting and Martin-Diaz (2006) emphasize the importance of caregiver-infant interaction, noting that stimulation by way of response and exposure is absolutely necessary for healthy brain development. Repetition is an essential tool that provides a foundation for such progress. Because pre-talkers have short attention spans and can be easily over stimulated, Ghoting and Martin-Diaz (2006) believe this development occurs most easily when learning sessions are spread throughout each day and kept informal, fun, and simple.
What specific needs do such activity sessions meet in very young children? Greene (2004) notes that most of the information seeking habits of babies from birth to six months of age are attempts to adapt to their environment as they explore the world through their senses. As babies grow older, from seven to fourteen months, information needs shift to accommodate the need to assert independence; by age two, these independent toddlers’ needs change once again as they become capable of “thinking things through” (Greene, 2004, pp. 20 – 21). Exposing infants and toddlers to organized activities related to stimulating literature designed specifically for them provides an opportunity for growth in an environment especially rich in cognitive thinking and communication skills.
McKechnie’s (2006) observation of babies’ interactions with library staff, materials, space and services during baby storytime provided her with an in-depth look at their “spontaneous, naturally occurring behavior” (p. 197) – behavior that indicates social and cognitive benefits related to early literacy activities.
Early Literacy: Empowering Parents and Caregivers
Though literacy is an essential component of early communication development in babies and toddlers, many libraries offer storytime designated only for children ages 4 and up. Even in areas where baby and toddler storytime is available, the offering times can be quite limited; for example, only one library in my tri-city area offers storytime for children under 4, and this toddler time only takes place at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays. While baby and toddler storytime is a wonderful offering for those with flexible schedules, working caregivers or those with other daytime obligations are unable to attend.
What information practices can primary caregivers provide at home to meet information needs and encourage further information seeking in babies and toddlers? In answer to the need for more early literacy resources for parents and other caregivers, I would like to share the combined knowledge I have gained from working in libraries, studying the information needs of children, and promoting my own son’s early literacy and learning by maintaining this blog dedicated to literature-related activities for toddlers. Posts will offer tips on selecting books for children under the age of 4 and will also provide story-related themes, crafts, games and activities with which caregivers can engage their children.
I hope visitors to this site find the information useful, engaging and fun. Any questions can be referred to caycevanhorn@gmail.com.
References
Acredolo, L., & Goodwyn, S. (2000). Baby minds. New York: Bantam Books.
Colburn, N., & Freeny, M. (1990). First steps to literacy: Library programs for parents, teachers and caregivers. Chicago: American Library Association.
Ghoting, S. N., & Martin-Diaz, P. (2006). Early literacy storytimes @ your library: Partnering with caregivers for success. Chicago: American Library Association.
Greene, E. (1991). Books, babies and libraries: Serving infants, toddlers, their parents and caregivers. Chicago: American Library Association.
Fiore, C. (1998). Born to read: How to nurture a baby’s love of learning. Tallahassee: Florida Dept. of State, Div. of Library and Information Services.
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2007). Guidelines for library services to babies and toddlers (IFLA Professional Reports No. 100.) The Hague, Netherlands: IFLA Headquarters.
McKechnie, L. (2006). Observations of babies and toddlers in library settings. Library Trends, 55(1), 190 - 201.
Marino, J. (2007). Babies in the library. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Murkoff, H., Eisenberg, A., & Hathaway, S. (2003). What to expect the first year (2nd ed.). New York: Workman Publishing.
Oser, C. (2006). Babies and libraries: Serving the youngest patrons of a community. Library Student Journal, 2. Retrieved from http://www.librarystudentjournal.org/
Strauss, Linda Leopold. (2010). Preschool day hooray!. New York: Cartwheel Books.
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