Michelle Margaret Neumann

An examination of touch screen tablets and emergent literacy in Australian pre-school children

Young children interact with touch screen tablets at home and this may impact upon emergent literacy. The present study examined home access and use of touch screen tablets, as reported by parents, in Australian pre-schoolers (N = 109) aged 3–5 years and whether this was associated with emergent literacy skills (letter name and sound, numeral identification, print concepts and name writing). Children with greater access to tablets were found to have higher letter sound and name writing skills. No relationships were found between time on tablets and emergent literacy skills. The quality of experiences rather than time spent on tablets may be important especially when viewed within a socio-cultural framework. Most parents (69%) reported that tablets were easy for their child to operate and believed tablets support early literacy development (70%). 53% believed children should have access to tablets at pre-school. Tablets have the potential to foster emergent literacy although this may depend upon the quality of digital interactions.

The role of environmental print in emergent literacy

Young children are surrounded by environmental print on a daily basis. Through their visual exploration of environmental print, coupled with sociocultural experiences, children gain valuable semantic and symbolic knowledge as they make sense of their world. The aim of this review is to examine the question of whether environmental print has value as a literacy learning resource, and if so, the mechanisms by which it promotes literacy development. It is shown that interactions with environmental print in the childs sociocultural context can develop their logographic reading skills. These skills, in turn, promote the development of emergent literacy skills that are the precursors to conventional reading skills. Environmental print may also be used more directly when parents and childhood educators use it to scaffold the learning of emergent literacy skills. It is recommended that parents and early childhood educators capitalize on childrens natural attraction to environmental print by using it to promote their literacy development.

Statistics? You Must Be Joking: The Application and Evaluation of Humor when Teaching Statistics.

Humor has been promoted as a teaching tool that enhances student engagement and learning. The present report traces the pathway from research to practice by reflecting upon various ways to incorporate humor into the face-to-face teaching of statistics. The use of humor in an introductory university statistics course was evaluated via interviews conducted with a random sample of 38 students. Responses indicated that humor aided teaching by providing amusement, breaking up content, bringing back attention, lightening the mood, increasing motivation, reducing monotony, and providing a mental break. Students that were already motivated and interested in statistics derived less benefit from humor, finding it at times irrelevant and distracting. The selective use of humor is recommended in teaching statistics, particularly for students that hold negative attitudes towards the subject.

Parental strategies to scaffold emergent writing skills in the pre‐school child within the home environment

Joint writing activities between parent and child can enhance literacy skills in young children. This paper describes the strategies used by a mother to scaffold her daughter’s alphabet letter shaping, word and story writing in the years before formal schooling. The strategies included identifying alphabet letters embedded in environmental print and books, tracing letter shapes with fingers whilst using directional language, and using whole‐arm movements to form letter shapes in the air. Writing samples and examples of parent–child interactions were collected at three to four years of age and are described within the framework of Gentry’s writing stages. The joint writing techniques and activities illustrated in this case study emphasise the use of letter names and letter shapes and may provide effective strategies for parents and early childhood educators to scaffold emergent writing development in young children.

The development and evaluation of a survey that makes use of student data to teach statistics

The use of a real data set has the potential to increase engagement and learning in students who enrol in a statistics course at university. The present report describes the development of an approach that uses a real data set, but one that is collected from the students. The questions are designed so that the data set can be used throughout the course to illustrate relevant concepts and methods in the application of introductory statistics. An evaluation was conducted via individual interviews with a random sample of 38 students. Quantitative and qualitative responses indicated that the survey led to in-class participation, was perceived to be a different approach, and contributed to an interest in, understanding of, and appreciation of the relevance of statistics. The creative use of student data is recommended to facilitate the learning of statistics.

The use of touch-screen tablets at home and pre-school to foster emergent literacy:

Young children living in technology-based communities are using touch-screen tablets (e.g. iPads) to engage with the digital world at an early age. The intuitive touch-screen interface, easily downloadable apps (applications) and mobility of tablets drive their increasing popularity with pre-schoolers. This review examines research to date on tablets, apps and emergent literacy in young children in the home and at pre-school. Evidence is building that suggests tablets have the potential to foster emergent writing and letter knowledge. Although the impact of tablets on emergent literacy is not yet fully known, developing themes highlight potential benefits and hindrances of tablets for emergent literacy. Two important considerations are the quality of emergent literacy apps and the importance of scaffolding young childrens use of tablets at home and pre-school to support emergent literacy development. Directions for future research and recommendations for parents and teachers are discussed.

Letter and numeral identification: their relationship with early literacy and numeracy skills

ABSTRACT The relationship between letter and numeral identification is reviewed to determine whether early identification of these symbols impact upon both literacy and numeracy development. Numerals and letters share similar perceptual properties such as geometric features and arbitrary labels. Through early socio-cultural experiences with surrounding print, children learn to differentiate between these symbols and name them. This knowledge prepares them for the acquisition of conventional literacy and numeracy skills. Studies show that numeral and letter identification are correlated at an early age. Moreover, numeral identification predicts early literacy skills such as word reading. Also, some evidence shows a relationship between letter identification and numeracy skills. The implications of the relationships between letter and numeral identification and subsequent literacy and numeracy skills for research and education are discussed, although further research is warranted. Practical strategies for fostering both numeral and letter identification in young children are suggested.

More than just storybooks: Promoting emergent literacy skills in the home

The home environment provides children with their first literacy experiences. Parents are thus well placed to facilitate the development of emergent literacy skills in their children before formal reading and writing begins at school. These emergent literacy skills include print awareness, motivation to explore print, shaping and writing skills, alphabet knowledge, and phonological awareness; the latter two being the strongest predictors of future reading ability (Adams 1990). Parents would benefit greatly from an evidenced-based approach to the use of methods that promote emergent literacy skills in their pre-school aged children. In the present article, relevant research is considered for literacy activities that focused on the interaction between the parent and child.

Mother–Child Referencing of Environmental Print and Its Relationship With Emergent Literacy Skills

Research Findings: Environmental print provides children with their earliest print experiences. This observational study investigated the frequency of mother–child environmental print referencing and its relationship with emergent literacy. A total of 35 mothers and their children (ages 3–4 years) were videotaped interacting in an environmental print–rich play setting. The frequency of environmental print referencing of letters and words was measured. Children were assessed on emergent literacy skills (letter name and sound knowledge, print concepts, phonological awareness, name and letter writing, environmental print reading). In all, 69% of mothers referenced environmental print. After child age, home literacy teaching, and maternal education were controlled for, greater maternal referencing of environmental print was positively related to print concepts and name and letter writing. Child environmental print referencing was positively related to name and letter writing as well as to maternal environmental print referencing. Mothers used a range of mediation strategies to support childrens interactions with environmental print. Practice or Policy: Maternal referencing of environmental print may be a useful way to scaffold emergent literacy in young children.

A Socioeconomic Comparison of Emergent Literacy and Home Literacy in Australian Preschoolers.

Family socioeconomic status (SES) and home literacy practices impact upon children’s early literacy development. The present study explored where current emergent literacy and home literacy differences lie in Australian preschoolers aged three to five years from lower SES (n = 49) and higher SES (n = 52) homes. Children were assessed on letter knowledge, print concepts, and name writing. Parent literacy teaching, storybook-reading, and home literacy resource data were gathered via a home questionnaire. Duration of parent–child reading was similar for both SES groups. Lower SES parents taught their children less frequently about print compared to higher SES parents with lower SES children performing more poorly on print skills. This suggests that home reading may not be sufficiently fostering print skills in lower SES children highlighting the need for policymakers to enable lower SES parents to engage in more print-based strategies to help bridge the literacy gap.