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Development Statement

Children are not only unique as individuals but also as learners; since they come from

many different homes, by the time they enter a school some may have already been exposed to a

wide range of literature, while others may not receive any support until they begin their formal

schooling (Neuman, 2019). As an educator, my responsibility is to ensure that all students can

reach developmentally appropriate goals not only in literacy, but also in social-emotional

learning.

Excitement is the key to fostering a child’s development skills. Just as there are optimal

conditions for a body to build muscle, children also learn more successfully under certain

conditions. While there are quite a few possible conditions, such as immersion, demonstration,

engagement, (having) expectations, employment (application), and response (feedback), in my

mind one of the most important conditions is approximation, or the use of language before it’s

fully developed (Cambourne, 1995). This is similar to when babies start to make noises to

approximate language, and the parents are joyous at their attempts; the child’s emerging literacy,

and the attempts at reading and writing must be received with praise and joy, because eventually

the child’s immature forms will be replaced by conventional ones (Cambourne, 1995). This

sample of emergent writing shows how children begin to attempt to communicate in their use of

writing symbols; the development of an idea will come before the development of the syntax and

grammar, and the students’ work is telling of their engagement in the experience of writing.

These students’ attempts at writing were received by me with praise and requests for more,

encouraging them to keep practicing.

Oral language and literacy develop together (Strickland, Morrow, Neuman, Roskos,

Schickedanz, & Vukelich, 2004). Children’s use of rhymes and chants in games creates
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phonological awareness and is a great predictor of literacy development. Literacy skills are often

initially modeled at home; everything that adults say, read, or write is observed by the child, and

serves to model the use of literacy skills; this in turn inspires the child to apply their own

knowledge, which is the most powerful way to secure new learning (Strickland, et. Al., 2004). In

the sample of emergent writing you can see the students attempt to explain things they are

currently working with or learning; the recipe for French toast serves as a perfect example of the

child attempting a task they have seen completed by a grown-up, and is inspiring in it’s

connection to real-life tasks. In addition, parents who read to their children support their growing

schemas about how stories are told, and expose them to print, fostering future understanding

(Newman, 2019). In my classroom I have a daily read-aloud to support exposure to new

vocabulary and comprehension skills; we have a partner pair and read, or small group reading,

where students model and support one another’s fluency; finally, I do a “read to your toy”

Friday, where students can read their favorite books to their fluffy friends, and everyone can

experience the joy of being the better reader.

Students best retain information when they engage in social aspects of learning to use

critical thinking to engage with one another, debate and shift perspectives, and form unique

opinions (Johnston, 2012). In my classroom students often review one another’s writing and give

helpful suggestions as to how to become better writers; this feedback is often viewed as support

by their peers, and much better received than that which is given by the teacher.

I use socialization and play time in my classroom to support learning. As children play

together they use their imagination and develop problem solving skills to work out solutions and

create stories (Pyle, Prioletta, Poliszczuk, 2018). For example, when children write stories about

their life, as in the sample above when the student is discussing wanting a dog, I invite the
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students to share their stories with one another; this increases engagement, and promotes

developing social skills, as well as just plain fun. When I have small reading groups of students

who are doing read-aloud theatre the room is filled with laughter and joy of play, yet the students

are reading one another’s parts to follow along and building fluency as well as impulse control

and social skills. Guided play in the classroom can engage more students in application of

knowledge and can be used to support instruction in the essential academic elements. The

conversations that take place among students during guided play can be used to assess their

comprehension (Taylor & Nolen, 2008).

One of the major goals in creating literacy is to foster independence in the child as a

reader, a question asker, and learner (Girling-Butcher, Philips, & Clay, 1991). When my students

share their writing with one another, such as the emergent writing samples shown above, they

become one another’s editors, critics, and teachers; most importantly, they take learning into

their own hands. Self-efficacy in students allows me as a teacher to differentiate among my

students, and better address various needs of my class, as well as to prepare them to be better

citizens of the world.

References

Cambourne, B. (1995). Toward an educationally relevant theory of literacy learning: twenty

years of inquiry. Reading Teacher, 49, 182–190. https://doi-

org.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/10.1598/RT.49.3.1

Girling-Butcher, W., Phillips, G., Clay, M. M. (1991). Fostering independent learning. Reading

Teacher, 44, 694–697. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN

=508352840&login.asp&site=ehost-live
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Johnston, P. (2012). Opening Minds: Using Language to Change Lives. Portland, ME: Stenhouse

Neuman, S. B. (2019). First Steps toward Literacy: What Effective Pre-K Instruction Looks

Like. American Educator, 42(4), 9–11. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN

=EJ1200519&login.asp&site=ehost-live

Pyle, A., Prioletta, J., Poliszczuk, D. (2018). The Play-Literacy Interface in Full-day

Kindergarten Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal, 46(1), 117–127.

https://doi-org.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/10.1007/s10643-017-0852-z

Strickland, D. S., Morrow, L. M., Neuman, S. B., Roskos, K., Schickedanz, J. A., & Vukelich, C.

(2004). The Role of Literacy in Early Childhood Education. Reading Teacher, 58(1), 86–

100. Retrieved from

http://search.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uas.alaska.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN

=EJ684373&login.asp&site=ehost-live

Taylor, C.S., Nolen, S.B. (2008). Classroom Assessment: Supporting Teaching and Learning in

Real classrooms (2nd ed.) Columbus, OH : Pearson