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Children’s literacy from an early age is critical to their development. Research undertaken by the Telethon Kids Institute discovered the frequency with which joint attention and adult child book reading occurs has an effect on vocabulary levels particularly by the time of school entry.  Children who had experienced low levels of joint attention in infancy were two and a half times more likely to have poor vocabulary development than those who experienced healthy levels.
Early childhood literacy and language development is a core component in the preparation of early childhood educators in courses offered by the Faculty of Education.

Knowing that significant development in learning happens in the first 12 months of a child’s life, the Faculty is now placing pre-service teachers in early childhood centres as part of their professional practice.  Here they engage infants and young children in developing pre-literacy skills.  This involves encouraging meaningful conversations, which are based on Sustained Shared Thinking (SST), in everyday play activities.

Early Childhood Course Coordinator at the Faculty of Education, Dr Gerardine Neylon, says that pre service teachers from UWA are implementing the philosophy of The Early Years Learning Framework.  Informed by the United Nations Convention on the ‘Rights of the Child’, the framework states that all children have the right to an education that lays a strong foundation for their learning and wellbeing. This includes language development together with a positive environment within which they thrive.

Activities may include increasing face to face interactions, eye contact and dialogic book reading. Dialogue book reading is a practice that actively involves the child in shared book reading. Children participate and receive feedback and adults adapt their reading style as the child’s linguistic skills develop.

“Engaging in sustained shared conversations strengthens a child’s thinking and deepens language development.  Young children’s self-efficacy is developed as they become ‘knowers’ and ‘tellers’” says Dr Neylon.

“It is important that educators value children’s ‘funds of knowledge’ and structure the learning environment to encourage dialogue that reveals their thinking. This is what we prepare our students for.  When they go into an early childhood and/or primary school environment, they are confident to apply a range of communication skills and activities to the interactions in early years learning environments.”

This year, students enrolled in the Master of Teaching (Early Childhood) course at UWA are for the first time implementing these skills at the UWA Early Learning Centre and Unicare on the UWA campus as well as at other early learning centres off campus.

Non-parental care in early childhood is increasing within Australia.  Therefore future early childhood educators must be prepared in all aspects of the education and care of young children aged from 0 - 5 years.

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Siaw Chai , Marketing and Communications Officer  +61 (08) 6488 2382