Teaching Beginning Readers: A Continuum of Learning for Children Birth to 8

This report discusses the development of reading from birth to early years of school, the role of oral language assessment strategies, and pedagogies for students with English as an additional language or dialect. It also explores the diversity of children, families, and communities, and provides a range of assessment strategies to observe reading development. The report concludes with the role of educators in supporting children's reading development.

Report on teaching beginning
readers that includes a
continuum of learning for
children birth to 8 the role of
oral language assessment
strategies and pedagogies
including strategies for
students with English as an
additional language or dialect

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Definition of reading that includes the key understandings, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
values...........................................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Development of reading from birth to early years of school.......................................................3
Diversity of children families and communities..........................................................................4
Range of assessment strategies to observe reading development................................................6
Role of the educator in supporting children’s reading development...........................................8
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Definition of reading that includes the key understandings, knowledge, skills, attitudes, and
values
Reading is the complex cognitive process of decoding symbols to derive meaning. It is a
form of language processing. Success in this process is measured as reading comprehension.
Reading can be defined as that process that includes having an idea of the words and converting
them into meaningful symbols. In order to improve one’s reading it is very necessary that they
have full idea and knowledge about the words which they are using while forming sentences.
Reading entails skills that reader have positive attitude while involving in reading something
(Salter, (2017). Thus, it will assist them in properly understanding the text. They must also have
a purpose and objective so that reader can focus upon the acute information given in text and it
will also increase their ability to understand the text.
For a child Reading is also a process of thinking. Readers needs to have prior knowledge
about the text so that they are better able to understand what they are reading. Children success
of reading is based on making sure about using strategies like arranging themes to organize the
patterns and ideas (Huang, (2019). Textual clues can be used so that they can find out meanings
of all the new words. Each component of reading is equally important. It has been analyzed that
various skills are been required during the process of reading in order to have proper
understanding of words in fluid manner. Thus, reading is a very detailed process that involves
comprehension, recognition of words, engagement and fluency. It will provide the practical
opportunities for application.
MAIN BODY
Development of reading from birth to early years of school
The early years of learning is based on five principles in this parents needs to be secure and
respectful towards their child. Teachers also need to have high expectations and provide respect
to diversity.
Babies and Toddlers: The first tip for sharing books with babies and toddlers is to make
sure to have fun together. Parents needs to ensure that children are enjoying themselves when
they are learning. Parents can let their child decide about the time he or she will be spend
reading. A little time will be okay. Reading can also be a great way for father, siblings,

grandparents in making bond with them. Research has shown that babies who are involved in
reading from a very young age develop improves language skills Bell & et.al., (2019).
. Parents can also make use of pictures and they can support babies and toddlers in trying to
read in the pictures from the book. When the child is old enough parents can ask babies to read
pictures to them. They can also ask babies after some time about what they have learnt through
pictures.
This strategy can be successfully explained through cognitive theory of learning. It implies
that the different process concerning learning can be explained by analysing the mental processes
first. This theory can help parents in understanding the feels emotions of babies and toddlers.
Pre-schoolers and Early stage 1: There are various reading activities which can be
conducted by parents and teachers of Pre-Schoolers. Like for example they can make pre-
schoolers recite nursery rhymes which are a great means to increase literacy. This can help
children in making use of words properly. One of the most important activity is make pre-
schoolers read every night before going to bed. Parents can also ask pre-schoolers to prepare a
shopping list this will improvise their writing as well as comprehension abilities. Puppets is also
a fun reading activity that can be used for pre-schoolers. This activity can assist pre-schoolers in
bringing command on oral language(Cho & Krashen, (2019)..
All these strategies can be explained with the social learning theory. In this parents can ask
children to observe things and learn from them. This will assist pre-schoolers in understanding
the meaning of phrases that has been used by them. It can help parents in making better
relationship with their children.
Stage 1: It typically includes the children of ages six, seven and eight. Now they have begun
to study in 2nd grade. In this stage children needs to develop their basic understanding of written
words and spoken words. Teachers and parents can involve in asking children questions about
what they have learnt in reading sessions and classes. They can also make them understand about
the letter sound relationships (phonic). Parents can ask them to read out basic and regular words.
They can develop reading skill by making use of instructions related to reading and can also
engaged in listening to other while they read (Lu, Yang & Yue, (2019, May)..
All these strategies can be explained behaviourism theory. In this the learning can be
developed in students according to their attitude and behaviour towards process of learning.

Teachers also needs to provide correct behaviour towards students this can enhance their
learning aspects. This can assist them in improving reading comprehension of children.
Diversity of children families and communities.
Diversity can influence the development of reading in many ways. This can include the
following aspects on which special emphasis must be laid. These are as follows;
Physical diversity: It includes the differences in students on basis on gender, age, size and
or any other factor. It is really necessary for schools to create a classroom where no
discrimination took place on basis of physical differences. For this students can check out upon
the texts use by teachers do not connect and re-present the diversity of children too.
Cultural diversity: It can include the background of student’s form where they are combing, it
can lay impact on their reading. Keeping a balance on cultural diversity can be really challenging
for teachers as there might occur chances that attitude about education and reading can be
different in families Jaffe, Wolfe & Wilson, (2016).
Developmental diversity: It includes various phases related to cognitive development
related to reading skills. In this there are chances that ability of some students are low to make up
sentence and read in comparison to others. This can be an issue for teachers to enhance learning
abilities in them. So special emphasis needs to be laid on developmental diversity (Liao & Wang,
(2018).
Two specific issues for bilingual and ATSI children
Issues for Bilingual children:
 Bilingualism can have a negative impact on the development of intellectual and socio-
emotional development. It has been analysed that these type of students can speak out
combination language which can be difficult for teachers to have proper understanding.
preliminary evidence suggests that bilingual children from low-income backgrounds
initially perform poorly on phonological awareness and letter identification task.
So teachers need to lay special emphasis on them. It can also have happened that development
aspect for children who are been engaged in learning two different languages can be different. It
has been analysed that learning of child plays an important role in their development Tutwiler,
(2017).
Issues for aboriginal children learning English

 It has been analysed that aboriginal children face lots of issues in learning English as they
face high amount of racism. Also it has been analysed that there is low quality of
education being given to students over there (Suk, (2016).
 So they do not have high command on Australian English. They have no idea about how
to read and also frame sentences. It has also been analysed that there are no adequate
resources available to students. This has reduced abilities of students to learn.
Strategies for working with families
Strategies Examples
Providing families with adequate resources so
that proper English Education can be given
Like for example they can provide families
with books, projectors so that they can help
students in learning
Providing them with learning and classes at
home
Teachers can go at home of aboriginals
students to provide them with extra lessons
related to English
Providing them online toolkits Online toolkits like E-books related to English
can be provided to students. Training can also
be given on it.
Trying to make them understands in their
language
Teachers can also engaged in making students
understand by speaking their native language
Range of assessment strategies to observe reading development
Assessment strategy Annotation Attitudes, Values
& Dispositions
(what is identified in terms of
A,V,D by this assessment
strategy) 
FORMATIVE (INFORMAL) ASSESSMENT
Miscue analysis A miscue is an unexpected
response to a reading cue;
saying something different
than what is in the passage.
The assessment strategy can
assist teacher and parents in
understanding the errors in
reading of child. It will help
them in analysing readers

weakness which is really
essential for growth of
students Lynch & Hanson,
(2018)
Observations Prior to school: In this teacher
will keep a check through
charts and graphs about the
type of sentences frame by
student’s
Early school years: It enables
educator to know about the
development criteria of
student’s.
This staregy will assist
teachers in knowing about the
growing of student’s in
learning process. It will assist
them in analysing abilities of
children.
This strategy will assist
educator in knowing about the
attitude of children towards
English learning.
Work sample examples
includes student’s assignment
Prior to school: It will help
educator in knowing about the
quality of work that has been
previously done by student’s
during their course work.
Early school years: It allows
educator gather information
related to the children’s grades
and performance level.
This strategy will allow
teacher and educator to know
about the capabilities of
children. In this they can work
upon improvising it
(Henderson,(2017).
Retelling Prior to school: It will help
educators in knowing about
how students can memorise
the lessons that has bene
learned by them.
Early school years: This will
help educators in knowing
about the history of students.
It will help educators in
knowing about the attitude,
capabilities and skills of re-
telling the stories. This will
help tutors in improvising
quality of work.

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
Prior to school Example in this the teachers
can be engaged in making
babies or toddlers rhyme the
nursery poem. This will assist
them in improvising formation
of sentences and also their
English Speaking activity
This can be made better
understandable if the classes
are being taken to increase fun
and learning in class
In school setting Example: Teachers and
parents can involve in asking
children questions about what
they have learnt in reading
sessions and classes. They can
also make them understand
about the letter sound
relationships (phonic).
In this the teachers can also
make use of strategies like
rewarding students if they
speak and read well and
punishing them if they don’t.
DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT
Prior to school Example: This diagnostic
assessment will help educator
in knowing about strength and
weakness of student’s. This
can be done by assessing
objectives(Gámez, González,
& Urbin, (2017).
This will help them in
knowing about the attitude and
value of student’s towards
learning
In school setting Example: in this teachers can
develop a lesson for learners
They can learn more if they
have positive attitude
The informal assessment strategy was clearly based on personal approach which can be
used to improve ability of child. While summative and diagnostic assessment are influences by
planned approaches
Role of the educator in supporting children’s reading development
Aspects of Reading Specific PEDAGOGIES Specific RESOURCES

Phonemic awareness The specific pedagogies can
include rhyming,
segmentation of sentences,
syllable blending. Children
can engaged in wordplay
Vukelich & et.al., (2019)
Elkonin boxes help students
build phonological awareness.
By this they can easily convert
word into sound.
Graph phonic cues It is a mechanical process
which involves letter sound
relationship.
Visual clues can be used by
teachers so that they can help
figure out student’s what does
that word meant.
Semantic cues It consists of forming meaning
full language form the text
given to student’s.
Video and audio can eb shown
to children to enhance their
ability in reading.
Syntactic cues It makes use of rules and
patterns related to language
which needs to be followed.
In this Graphic and video can
be used to enhance the ability
of student’s
Concept of Print In this to make student’s learn
particular letter is been
highlighted.
In this the printed books can
be used. It helps in increasing
knowledge of children
Bilingual & Aboriginal
children learning English
as an additional
language
Special instructions will be
given by teachers to make
student’s read.
They can make use of E-
learning process.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals

Bell, N. & et.al., (2019). Reading development in children with cochlear implants who
communicate via spoken language: a psycholinguistic investigation. Journal of Speech,
Language, and Hearing Research, 62(2), 456-469.
Cho, K. S., & Krashen, S. (2019). Access to books and English reading: A virtuous circle.
ELTAR-J (English Language Teaching and Research Journal).1(1). 43-48.
Ellis, M. (2019). Teacher competencies in supporting reading in English as a foreign language.
Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature.43(3). 73-87.
Gámez, P. B., González, D., & Urbin, L. M. (2017). Shared book reading and English learners’
narrative production and comprehension. Reading Research Quarterly.52(3). 275-290.
Henderson, L. (2017). Issues in the modelling of pronunciation assembly in normal reading. In
Surface dyslexia (pp. 459-508). Routledge.
Huang, B. H. (2019). The relationship between oral language and reading in English-only,
proficient bilingual, and emergent bilingual adolescents. In Handbook of Research on
Engaging Immigrant Families and Promoting Academic Success for English Language
Learners (pp. 112-132). IGI Global.
Iftanti, E., & Shofiya, A. (2018). EFL Students’ Responses on The Implementation of Extensive
Reading Program to Build Love of Reading in English. Jurnal Bahasa Lingua
Scientia.10(1). 143-158.
Jaffe, P. G., Wolfe, D. A., & Wilson, S. K. (2016). Children of battered women. Sage
Publications, Inc.
Liao, H. C., & Wang, Y. H. (2018). Using comprehension strategies for students' self-efficacy,
anxiety, and proficiency in reading English as a foreign language. Social Behavior and
Personality: an international journal.46(3). 447-458.
Lu, S., Yang, S., & Yue, N. (2019, May). The Application of Cooperative Learning in English
Reading Teaching in Junior School. In 2019 5th International Conference on Humanities
and Social Science Research (ICHSSR 2019). Atlantis Press.
Lynch, E. W., & Hanson, M. J. (2018). Developing cross-cultural competence: A guide for
working with young children and their families. Paul H. Brookes Publishing.
Salter, E. (2017). Popular reading in English c. 1400–1600. Manchester University Press.
Suk, N. (2016). Effects of extensive reading on motivation for reading in English. 현 현 현 현 현 현
17(4). 119-137.
Tutwiler, S. J. W. (2017). Teachers as collaborative partners: Working with diverse families and
communities. Routledge.
Vukelich, C. & et.al., (2019). Helping young children learn language and literacy: Birth through
kindergarten.
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