Early Literacy Learning Model: Everyday Literacy Activities

Distance Learning Events brought to you by the Center for Early Literacy Learning

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What is this CELL distance learning event?

• This distance learning event focuses on everyday literacy activities, which are one component of the early literacy learning model

• The purpose of this distance learning event is to share information about: – The definition of everyday literacy activities– How to identify everyday literacy activities– How everyday literacy activities provide opportunities

for learning– How to increase the breadth and depth of learning

opportunities

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Pause and think about everyday literacy activities before you proceed!

• What are everyday literacy activities?• Why are everyday literacy activities important to

a child’s literacy learning?• What are some examples of everyday literacy

activities?• Click here to read or listen to CELL’s responses

to these questions.• Proceed through the distance learning event

with these responses in mind.

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Introduce: What are everyday literacy activities?

• Everyday literacy activities need to:– Be interest-based– Provide opportunities for language and literacy

learning– Provide opportunities to acquire and use literacy

abilities– Happen frequently (or could happen frequently)

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Illustrate: Tools for Identifying Everyday Literacy Activities

• Interest-Based Everyday Literacy Activity Checklist– Tool that parents can use to help them with

identification of everyday literacy activities for their own child

– Should be driven by what a child is interested in and/or what a child might be interested in

– This tool is shown on the next two slides and can be accessed by clicking on the following link

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Illustrate: Tools for Identifying Everyday Literacy Activities

• Early Childhood Classroom Interests Assessment– Tool to help teachers identify interest-based early

literacy activities for the children in their classroom– This tool is shown on the next two slides and can be

accessed by clicking on the following link

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Illustrate: Examples of Everyday Literacy Activities

• Interest-based: – A child who loves birds will enjoy drawing, writing,

talking, and reading about birds

• Opportunities for language learning:– Conversation with peers and adults during everyday

activities, such as talking about the birds seen during a walk outside

• Opportunities to practice literacy skills:– Such as with reading and writing materials: reading a

book about birds, finding bird-related items in a catalog

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Introduce: Everyday Literacy Activity Continuum

Everyday literacy activities can be informal or formal, or anywhere in between, depending on the context in which the activity occurs

Informal Literacy Activities Formal Literacy Activities

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Illustrate: Informal Literacy Activities

• Unstructured activities• Primarily directed by child, with adult being a

facilitator (i.e., less adult-directed)• Tend to occur within daily routines than in

planned learning situations– For example, car rides, grocery stores, diapering,

dressing

• Occur in the context of literacy-rich environments

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Illustrate: Formal Literacy Activities

• Structured activities• Tend to be more adult directed• Tend to occur in more planned learning

situations• Can occur when an adult organizes or leads a

child in a learning activity with a specific goal of enhancing literacy development

• Occur in the context of literacy-rich environments

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Introduce: Learning Opportunities

• Everyday literacy activities provide opportunities for early literacy learning at home, in classrooms, and in a child’s community

• Opportunities for early literacy learning need to be provided frequently

• Opportunities for early literacy learning should be increased both across (breadth) and within (depth) literacy activities

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Illustrate: Tools for Increasing Breadth and Depth of Everyday Literacy Activities and

Learning Opportunities• Tools to assist parents and practitioners to

remember literacy learning opportunities and activities they want to do with their child/ren– Daily Schedule– Reminder Tool

• These tools are designed to help parents and teachers increase opportunities for literacy learning across (breadth) and within (depth) literacy activities• They are shown on the next slide and can be

accessed on our tools page located above

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Practice: Identifying Everyday Literacy Activities

• Go to www.earlyliteracylearning.org, click on “products,” and select an infant, toddler, or a preschooler practice guide– Write down the name of the practice guide you read– Answer these questions:

What types of everyday literacy activities were demonstrated? For one of the activities, how could you make it happen more

frequently? How could you expand on early literacy learning within the activity?

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Practice: Everyday Literacy Activities

• Do you want more practice on everyday literacy activities?

• We have developed additional practices!

• You can click here to access the additional practices for home visitors or practitioners.

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Evaluate: Identifying Everyday Literacy Activities

• Submit your examples to our discussion board by clicking here

• Think about these questions: (1) How did the activities build on the interests of children? ; (2) What kinds of literacy learning opportunities did the activities provide?

• Do you have any questions about the practice exercises? Please submit them to our discussion board by clicking here

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Reflect: Everyday Literacy Activities

• We strongly encourage you to reflect on the information you have learned in this distance learning event

• Reflecting assists you to determine your level of knowledge and the outcome of your practice

• To help you reflect about everyday literacy activities and learning opportunities, print and complete the checklists located on our tools page located here

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Literacy-Rich Environments

Everyday Literacy Activities

Early Literacy

Outcome Indicators

Responsive Teaching

Child Interests

CELL Early Literacy Learning Model: Bringing It All Together

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Thank you!

• Thank you for accessing this CELL distance learning event!

• We value your feedback! Please provide it to us by clicking on this link

• Remember to access other CELL distance learning events!

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