Kornmehl

Terry Aizen – Director of Kornmehl

Care Packs Project

Monday 29 June is the last day for care packs to be dropped off at the Pre-school or Emanuel School reception. We have had an overwhelming and very generous response from families and cannot thank you enough. To date we have collected 55 care packs. They will be collected next week by Gunawirra and then delivered to the children in the Pre-schools in outback NSW. We are grateful to be able to help other children and to make a difference in their lives. A real example of Tikun Olam.

Literacy and numeracy in the Early Years

Literacy and numeracy are essential skills for all children to develop.

“Positive attitudes and competencies in literacy and numeracy are essential for children’s successful learning. The foundations for these competencies are built in early childhood.” (DEEWR, 2009, pg. 38)

We therefore have a responsibility to incorporate literacy and numeracy into our programs, but to do so in a way that is in keeping with the principles and practices of the Early Years Learning Framework and of sound early childhood practice.

Play-based learning plays a crucial role in the development of literacy and numeracy. Both literacy and numeracy are forms of communication; ways in which we represent and share information with others about our world. As literacy and numeracy are essential life skills, children need opportunities to use them (and to see them being used) in real life situations. When children are exposed to literacy and numeracy learning through hands-on, practical and play-based experiences, they are more likely to engage meaningfully and successfully with them.

As children play at shopping in the home corner, using play money and a cash register, they begin to engage with counting, addition, subtraction and various other mathematical concepts. Similarly, when children ‘read’ a recipe and measure out ingredients as part of a cooking experience, they are working with ideas about volume, quantity and measurement and learning how procedural texts work. Such experiences allow children to connect with literacy and numeracy at their own pace and to use their ideas and language in contexts that mirror real life.

In the early childhood classroom, much literacy and numeracy learning is incidental – meaning it happens as a result of being in environments rich in language and mathematics without the need for direct instruction. When children see language and number concepts used around them in meaningful ways and as part of their everyday experience, they begin to internalise them. They begin to recognise words, letters and numbers and use language and ideas that they have seen educators or other children use. An environment that is rich in literacy and numeracy possibilities is therefore an important starting point.

A broader definition of literacy incorporates all forms of communication, including the visual and performing arts as well as talking, listening and storytelling (DEEWR, 2009, pg. 38). An environment that encourages all of these plays an important role in developing children’s sense of themselves as effective communicators and is likely to lead more naturally to an interest in reading and writing.

Similarly, numeracy is about more than just counting. Recognising patterns, sorting and categorising objects, talking about time and the patterns of the day, measuring and calculating amounts, arranging objects in space and identifying shapes, are all examples of mathematical thinking that contribute to numeracy. Materials and resources that allow children to problem-solve and explore the world ‘mathematically’ are therefore key elements in the development of numeracy. Blocks and other construction materials, puzzles, and opportunities for patterning and sorting using, for example, found materials such as shells, seeds or leaves, all provide experiences that encourage mathematical thinking and the use of mathematical concepts and language.

When educators engage with children as they are learning they are able to support, extend and challenge their thinking. They can provide language to describe what is happening and help to scaffold children’s learning and understanding. This involvement, when it is deliberate, thoughtful and purposeful, can be thought of as intentional teaching.

Being intentional about literacy and numeracy means taking an active role in promoting it. It will involve spontaneous responses to children’s play where we take advantage of opportunities to talk about literacy and numeracy as they arise, as well as more carefully planned experiences that we have deliberately designed to introduce or extend an idea or concept.

By providing children with regular, ongoing opportunities to use literacy and numeracy throughout the day, each and every day, we help to establish knowledge and positive dispositions and the ability to apply knowledge in practical and meaningful contexts. By beginning with play, and utilising its innate appeal to children, we can offer each child the best start in their journey to becoming literate and numerate.

Activities that promote early literacy and numeracy concepts

Some fun, every day activities you can do with your child to help develop their literacy and numeracy skills:

Play word games when out together, such as ‘I spy’ in the car. For young children, you can use colours such as ‘I spy something that is red’
Paint and draw – art allows children to express themselves. As your child learns more words you may notice their paintings or drawings become more detailed
Sing songs or nursery rhymes while taking a walk, packing away toys or in the car
Dress up – children can practise their language and communication skills by playing ‘make believe’
Play outdoors – pouring water or sand into containers, scales and measuring containers allows your child to explore numeracy concepts
Do a puzzle – puzzles are a great way for children to learn about sizes, shapes and colours
Play with blocks – concepts of size, numbers, patterns and problem-solving can be explored by playing with blocks. You can help extend your child’s mathematical and spatial concepts by giving them paper, pencil and a ruler for drawing their block buildings
Ask your child open-ended questions – this encourages them to practise expressing themselves and lets them know you value their thoughts
Think out loud – so your child can learn about how you solve problems
Read books – reading together can be a special and relaxing time. It can help your child enjoy reading from a young age and give them a head start at school.

Source: Extract from Luke Touhill – Early childhood consultant and writer (NQS PLP e-Newsletter No.66, 2013) and Office for Early Childhood and Care – Literacy and Numeracy fact sheet