enhancing preschool literacy skills with software and internet technologies julie coiro university...
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Enhancing Preschool Literacy Skills with
Software and Internet Technologies
Julie CoiroUniversity of Connecticut
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Growing up in a digital world…
while learning how to participate and contribute in literate ways.
The Current Climate
In 2003, 67% of children in nursery school and 80% in kindergarten used the computer
Also, 1/4 (23%) of children in nursery school and 1/3 (32%) in kindergarten used the Internet
By high school, nearly all students (97%) used computers, and a majority (80%) used the Internet.
-- (NCES, 2005)
The Current Climate"Computers …open new and unforeseen
avenues for learning” (Douglas Clements, 2001)
“Computers are redefining how we interact with others and how we gain knowledge about the world around us…and they are increasingly important in our daily lives.” (Mark Ginsburg, Executive Director, NAEYC, 2001).
The Current Climate
“Global calls are being made for ICT to be understood as a multifunctional tool for Early Learning that is used to introduce and support, but not replace, real life experiences and physical activities” (IBM Kidsmart, 2004).
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The Current Research Climate
There are many opinions but few recent facts about the impact of technology use on preschoolers (Skeele & Stefankiewicz, 2002).
In an effort to review, replicate, and extend National Reading Panel Subcommittee Report on Technology, we found only 10 studies from 1986-2002 involving preschoolers and literacy that met even our extended criteria. The real potential depended upon the teacher’s ability to make appropriate decisions about design, social interaction, and individual differences (Coiro et al., 2003).
The Current Research Climate
Systematic, empirically grounded research that focuses on new technologies and early literacy, particularly outside the United States, is extremely limited (Lankshear & Knobel, 2003).
Research to determine the long-term effects of computer use on young children is desperately needed (Future of Children, David & Lucille Packard Foundation, 2001).
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What do we know from research?
What is developmentally appropriate for preschoolers?
What are the benefits of preschool technology use?
How do these benefits map onto early language and literacy development?
How might the Internet impact early language and literacy learning in a preschool classroom?
Where should research be headed next?
#1: What are developmentally
appropriate literacy practices for
preschoolers?
Five areas of children’s development
Physical well-being & fine/gross motor skills Social and emotional developmentMotivation and engagementLanguage developmentGeneral knowledge and cognition
-- National Education Goals Panel
Young children learn through…
Play and explorationSocial interaction with adults and
other childrenA “need to know”
-- Northwest Educational Technology
Consortium (2003)
Technology in children’s play should enable children to …
Discharge or restore personal energy while engaged in something interesting
Act out and explore roles and rules for adultsGain a sense of control Experience new learning in a relaxed atmosphereDevelop sense of self and relations to others through
group work, collaboration, and competitionExplore abstract or symbolic meanings
-- Verenikina, Harris, & Lysaght (2003) Play, technology, and children’s development
Emergent Literacy Learning
Emergent Literacy is“the belief that preschoolers must observe and be engaged in literacy-related activities in which reading and writing is used to accomplish real goals”
“Scribbling and invented spelling = real reading”
--- Teale & Sulzby, 1989
Reading and Writing
Listening to stories Playing rhyming gamesMatching lettersExploring print and its messagesActively constructing their learning
-- International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), 1998
Good literacy instruction provides opportunities for ...
Creatively responding to texts or topicsPractice & reinforcement with important skills Referencing multimedia sources of informationApplying literacy in authentic environmentsExploring new forms and purposes for reading
and writing
Good computer technologies should provide these too!
#2: What are the benefits of preschool
technology use?
#3: How do these map onto early
language and literacy development?
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Preschool Literacy Needs
Oral language developmentConcepts of print and phonological awarenessVocabulary and background knowledgeExploration and playLogic, Critical Thinking, and Problem SolvingSocial Interaction with OthersConnecting Reading and Writing
Impact of computer use on oral language development
Computers can serve as catalysts for social interaction, cooperation and conversations related to children’s work (Clements, Nastasi, & Swaminathan, 1993; Nastasi, 1993).
Computer play encourages longer, more complex speech and the development of fluency (Davidson & Wright, 1994).
Children tend to narrate what they are doing as they draw pictures or more objects and characters on the screen (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).
Computer use fosters greater language production (increased number of spoken words a minute), number of foreign language words learned, and amount of communication to teach other students (Pierce, 1994).
Oral Language Development
Leap Into Nursery Rhymes (Leap into Learning) Options to record your own voice and play back
Play with nursery rhymes and songs
Good modeled reading aloud for enjoyment
Options to record your own voice and play back
Exploring the connections between oral language and print
Encourage book conversations, dramatic play, and personal responses (paired with drawing, taking pictures, singing, and storytelling)
Oral Language and Creative RespondingKID PIX
STUDIO
(painting and animation tools, slide
show maker, text tools, stamps)
Research shows that…Children talk, draw and write more
with a partner and open-ended software.
Concepts of Print and Phonological Awareness
Opportunity to explore print in many forms and begin to notice functions and patterns when interacting with print
Awareness of title, author, direction, print tells story, individual words and letters
Explore auditory skill awareness of words, rhymes, syllables, and individual letter sounds.
Impact of preschool computer use on concepts of print, phonological
awareness, and phonics Research in this area is not as rich or current and many
studies show no difference compared to control group or suggest that teachers make the difference rather than one program or another (Coiro et al., 2003).
Specific reading skills, particularly school language and rhyming, can be taught using drill and practice software (Gore, Morris, Mass, & Anderson, 1989).
Computer use positively impacted early literacy skills such as letter naming, beginning word recognition, and interpreting symbols, letters, and words (Pierce, 1994).
Impact of preschool computer use on concepts of print, phonological
awareness, and phonics Preschoolers in Holland increased blending skills and carried
over their skills to foster decoding proficiency in Grade 1 (Reitsma & Wesseling, 1998).
Autistic preschoolers in the U.S. increased time on task and ability to read and match words compared to those in control group (Williams, Writing, Callaghan, & Coughlan, 2002).
Special education preschoolers in Israel increased skills in phonological awareness, letter naming, and word recognition (Mioduser, Tur-Kaspa, & Leitner, 2000).
Concepts of Print and Phonological Awareness
LEAP INTO NURSERY RHYMESby Leap
Into Learning
Level 2 Hearing syllables
Level 3
Hearing sounds
Concepts of Print
Living Books, Little Monster Goes to School, by Broderbund
Concepts of Print and Phonological Awareness
BAILEY’S BOOK HOUSE
by Edmark
Impact of computer use on preschooler’s vocabulary and
background knowledge
Another area with less amount of work done - possibly due to other priorities.
3 and 4 year olds who used computers with supporting activities had significantly greater gains in intelligence, verbal skills, structural knowledge, long-term memory, and conceptual skills (Haughland, 1992).
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge
LET’S EXPLORE
THE JUNGLE
by Humongous Entertainment
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge
Let’s Explore The Jungle, by Humongous Entertainment
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge
Let’s Explore The Jungle, by Humongous Entertainment
Vocabulary and Background Knowledge
TRAVEL THE
WORLD WITH
TIMMY, DELUXE
by Edmark
Impact of preschool computer use on exploration and play
Computers provide a private place for children to practice without fear of public failure (Bredekamp & Rosegrant, 1994).
Computers allow young children to represent, manipulate, and act on variables not possible in the physical world (Clements, 1998; Seng, 1998).
Computers provide a different source of “multisensory / multimedia experiences” that can enhance, extend, and augment a child’s learning experience (Thovenelle & Bewick, 2003).
The teacher’s role is to create an environment that fosters awareness and exploration and then support as appropriate (Davidson & Wright, 1994).
Tools for authentic exploration of pictures, letters, words and sounds
STANLEY’S STORY
STICKERSby Edmark
Also THEME WEAVERS
for Animals by Edmark
Exploring and responding with personal creativity tools
KID PIX STUDIO
Logic, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Opportunities to solve problems in authentic contexts that are safe, supportive, and challenging.
Explore environments with little or no text to practice and build other strategies.
I Spy, Jr. Pajama Sam
Maze Madness
Impact of Computer Use on Logic, Critical Thinking, and
Problem SolvingTechnology offers multiple ways to solve a problem
and multiple paths to a goal (Clements, 1999).Computer use helped children to…
move from concrete to symbolic representational thought (Pierce, 1994);
to show more sophistication in classification and logical thinking (Clements & Nastasi, 1993) and;
Improve their spatial problem solving, logical problem solving, concentration, and memory (Haughland, 1992).
Logic, Critical Thinking, and Problem Solving
I SPY Jr.
by Scholastic New Media
Form new lists, sort pictures
Logic, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Putt-Putt, Pajama Sam
and Freddi Fish
by Humongous Entertainment
Logic, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Freddi Fish’ Maze
Madness
by Humongous Entertainment
Create your own mazes and then play in them!
Logic, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Logical Journey of
the Zoombinis
by Broderbund
logic and pattern recognition
Logic, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Thinkin’ Things I, II,
and III
by Edmark
patterns in music, art, and space
Impact of Preschool Computer Use on Social Interaction
Computers contribute to social development (NAEYC, 1996) as children share leadership roles and initiate interactions more frequently (Clements, 1994; Haughland & Wright, 1997)
Compared to more traditional activities, such as puzzle assembly or block building, the computer elicits more social interaction and different types of interaction (Clements, Nastasi, & Swaminathan, 1993).
Impact of Preschool Computer Use on Social Interaction
Computers are more effective when used in classrooms and connected to authentic daily learning activities compared to computer lab (Davis & Shade, 1999).
A well-designed computer center can promote almost as much social interaction as dramatic play and for some children it offers a unique medium that taps their ability to creatively collaborate with their peers (Anderson, Hilton, & Wouden-Miller, in press)
For many children, the computer is a catalyst for information sharing, language development, and decision making (Wright, 1994; Sarama & Clements, 2001; Fischer & Gillespie, 2003).
Interacting With Others
Pajama Sam; Putt-Putt
Let’s Explore the Jungle
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Social interaction with peers and multi-age groups…
…social interactions with teachers and parents.
Impact of Preschool Computer Use on Connecting
Reading and Writing
Word processing encourages writing and motivation to improve writing skills (Clements & Nastasi, 1993).
A word processor provides scaffolding (Clements & Nastasi, 1993); allows children to compose and revise text without being distracted by the fine motor aspects of letter formation (Davis & Shade, 1994);
Connecting Reading and WritingRespect that some children consider
drawings to be actual writing & others will respond with a clear message or story
Practice writing with real, authentic and age-appropriate print-related experiences
Need time to observe, explore and experiment with writing)
Kid Works Deluxe Kid Pix Studio Digital Cameras
Connecting Reading and Writing
KID WORKS DELUXE
(text to speech, book maker,
painting tools, text tools, stamps)
Kid Works Deluxe (2).lnk
Connecting Reading and Writing
KID PIX STUDIO
Create patterns, label with beginning
letters, or write a
sentence.
Using Digital
Cameras to Connect
Reading and Writing
Other Handy Tools
Alphasmart 3000 Drawing Tablet
Color printerScanner
Kiddy Mouse
Trackball?
Children’skeyboard?
#4: How might the Internet impact early
language and literacy learning in a
preschool classroom?
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Http://www.enchantedlearning.com
Explore new Internet literacies What is a hyperlink?
Make a Father’s Day card
Read a daffodil rhyme
Color-by-number daisies
Click on D
Explore new Internet literacies:Interactivity
Online puzzles Concentration Games
Individualized guidance
Read-Aloud StoriesHear new sounds
See a movie
Design and send an e-card to a relative
Import a digital photo and play on online puzzle with it
Internet Workshop Activities
www.jigzone.com
Draw a question from the Internet
Inquiry Basket
Join an Internet Project
We Know Why Alexander Wanted to Move to Australia!!!
Alex’s Scribbles Internet Writing
Click here
So where do we go from here??
Expanding programs of research: Preschoolers and ICT
IBM Kidsmart Early Learning Program (1998-current) 117+ settings, 7 countries
[France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, UK, and U.S.]
As long as there is appropriate software, teachers with a positive attitude, an environment which facilitates social interaction, accessibility, and equal opportunity, computers can have a positive impact on the learning environment in an early childhood centre.
Expanding programs of research: Preschoolers and ICT
Children of the New Millennium Project (Susan Hill, 2004) focuses on new and print-based literacies. The curriculum is inquiry based, child-initiated, social, collaborative, and connected between home and school.
“The learning in these projects comes from questions, puzzles, or the interests of young children….Teachers were bowled over by what they found about preschool children’s new learning [with the Internet]”.
Expanding programs of research: Preschoolers and ICT
Young Children and Learning Technologies International Federation for Information Processing Working Group 3.5 Open Conference. Sydney, Australia, July 2003 (Wright, McDougall, Nurnane, & Lowe)
Over 40 research projects with preschool children and their teachers as they explore new information and communication technologies (ICT).
http://crpit.com/Vol34.html
Expanding programs of research: Preschoolers and ICT
Early Years ICT in Scotland (2003)They note the scarcity of quality research findings
and their work generated many more questions than answers -- “There are generalized claims about the positive impact of ICT without any evidence of measured impact being offered”.
The impact of preschool use of ICT depends on how teachers use ICT and interact with children to maximize the opportunities available.
Research Into PracticePlease refer to your handouts for ideas about…
Research highlights and references Matching software to preschool literacy needs NETS PreK-2 Technology Performance Indicators Ten tips for previewing educational software Ideas for using digital photographs in the classroom Thematic applications of Kid Pix Drawing Tools Classroom Management Ideas Internet Project, Internet Inquiry, and Internet Resources
Thank you! Julie Coiro ([email protected])