Tools of Literacy for
Infants and Toddlers
Joanne Knapp-Philo Ph.D.
California Institute on Human Services
Sonoma State University
Agenda
– Tools of Literacy
– Video
– Small Group Activity
– Next Steps Reflection
Purpose of Session
To become aware of
concept of “Tools
of Literacy” to
support language
and literacy
development in
infants and
toddlers in day-today environments
Learning Outcomes
• Participants will
consider current
research that
supports the concept
of using tools of
literacy
• Participants will
practice applying the
concept to daily
interactions with
infants and toddlers
Who’s Here?
Current Parents of Infants/Toddlers
• You’re from California.
• You’re NOT from California.
• You’re from the Eastern time zone and got to
sleep in this morning!
• Central Time?
• Had to take 2 planes to get here?
• Is there someone we missed?
Who’s Here?
•
•
•
•
You’re a teacher or caregiver
You’re a supervisor
You’re an administrator
You’re a trainer
Tools of Literacy
Everything an infant or toddler uses to
help “read” the world
Nurturing Relationships
• Relationships are the
foundation of all infant
learning
• All early experiences
are in the context of a
relationship with an
adult
• Language develops as a
result of experiences
• Any other “bites” of
research?
Young children learn to
“read” the world by watching
adults
•
•
•
•
How do adults interact?
What do facial expressions mean?
Do I feel safe and loved?
Are books fun?
Relationships and Literacy
• Positive experiences encourage us
to try again and again
• Negative experiences discourage us
from trying again
Listening and Talking
Listening and Talking
• What does the research say?
• Babies communicate all the time…
– Intentionally
– Unintentionally
Listening
• Children learn
–
–
–
–
Vocabulary
Conversational skills
Turn-taking
About their roles
Modeling
What does the research say?
Modeling
• Children do what they see
• Before they go to school, children already
have an idea about reading and writing
activities and their importance to the
adults in their family
• Adults teach by what they do and by what
they DO NOT do
Discovering the World through
Words and Experiences
Experiences
• Connect the abstract to the concrete
– Names of things
– Events
– Activities
• Give the opportunity to build child’s
knowledge base and vocabulary
Experiences with Print and
Writing
Experiences with Print and
Writing
• What does the
research say?
• Children learn
– Purpose for reading
and writing
– How to gather
information
– Who writes? Who
reads? Why?
Environmental Print
What are the
everyday
experiences
children have
with print and
writing?
Symbols
Symbols
• What does the research say?
• Symbols are more than letters…
– Representational objects
– What are the first symbols in a child’s
life?
Symbols
Children with
disabilities may
take longer to
understand
symbols
Sounds,
Rhythms,
Rhymes,
&
Songs
Music, Rhymes, Rhythms,
Poetry
• Help children develop
– Listening skills
– Phonemic awareness
– Love of words and language
– Physical and mental well-being
• Can be a way to learn a family’s culture
• Encourage children and adults to enjoy
their interactions
Enjoyable Experiences
with
Stories & Books
Stories
• Everybody has a story!
• Hearing stories helps children develop
– Listening skills
– Vocabulary
– Sequencing skills
– A sense of their place in the world
– Enjoyment of literacy activities
• Can be a bridge to a family’s culture and
values
Tell Stories with Intentionality
• Use some new words to stretch the child’s
vocabulary
• Let children contribute to the story
– What do you think will happen next?
– If he does that, what will happen?
– What did she do before she went to sleep?
• Later, help children recall the story and sequence
what happened first, next, etc.
• Use familiar and new stories and settings that you
are comfortable with
Tell Stories
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•
•
•
•
Waiting at WIC
On the bus
Walking to the store
Driving in the car
Waiting at the
doctor’s office
• Standing in line to pay
a bill
• Cooking dinner
• Taking a bath
It’s never too early to give a
baby a book!
Video
Small Group Activity
Work in small groups
Each group gets a
picture
List how you would
use each tool of
literacy in the
environment shown
in your picture
So Many Opportunities to Use
Tools
• Nurturing
Relationships
• Experiences with
Print and Writing
• Listening and
Talking
• Sounds, Rhymes,
Rhythms, and
Songs
• Modeling
• Discovering the
World through
Words and
Experiences
• Symbols
• Experiences with
Stories and Books
Learning Outcomes
• Participants will
consider current
research that
supports the concept
of using tools of
literacy
• Participants will
practice applying the
concept to daily
interactions with
infants and toddlers
Next Steps
• Lots of ideas shared today!
• What will you do now?
• Take 5 minutes to plan how you will
use this
Thank you for all you do to
support infants, toddlers, and
families!
Celebrate what you already do
and what you will continue to
do!