Early Childhood Education: Language and Literacies Report, TCHE2562

This report delves into the critical role of language and literacies in early childhood development, emphasizing the use of resources such as storybooks, specifically the story of Rapunzel. It examines how educators can utilize these resources to foster children's interest, concentration, and knowledge. The report details the benefits of introducing literature early, including the development of writing, speaking, and communication skills, while also exploring the impact of physical and aesthetic characteristics of resources. It discusses how storybooks promote language development, the educational potential of the resource, and the development of literature in children from birth to five years. The report also analyzes how the resource aids in language development and its benefits for individuals, small groups, and large groups, supported by scholarly references.

Running head: LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Language and Literacies in Early Childhood
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Authors note:

1LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Executive Summary
The paper is an elaborate study of the importance of resources in early childhood. The
teacher uses various kinds of resources to grow the children's interest, concentration, and
knowledge of literature. The resource chosen in the paper is a storybook and the story that
has been effecting the creativity of the child is Rapunzel. Rapunzel has various benefits in the
life of a child, which they can enjoy if literature is included in early childhood. The paper is
how resources act as an intriguer in the development of the child and how it is beneficial to
an individual, a small group or a large group.

2LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Discussion..................................................................................................................................3
What is language?..................................................................................................................3
How do children learn to communicate?...............................................................................4
Importance of physical and aesthetic characteristics of the resource....................................4
Children’s literature promotes language development..........................................................5
The educational potential of the resources.............................................................................5
Development of literature in children from birth to five years..............................................5
How does the resource help develop the language?...............................................................6
How it is beneficial to............................................................................................................6
Reference List ...........................................................................................................................9

3LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Introduction
Literature plays a vital role in a child's development. It is a crucial aspect of the
growing stages. Literature increases the love for reading and language or speaking skills.
Introducing literature in the early stage helps in developing writing skills, speaking skills, and
communication skills. In the paper, an elaborate description of how literature has been
helping in the creativity of the child and triggering the imagination of the child (Jalongo,
Dragich, Conrad & Zhang, 2002). There have been various resources used to develop the
literature of the child. An educator and the parents are the vital components that help in the
increase of literacy in the child. The teacher uses Rapunzel as the resource for expanding
literature in the life of the person. The paper is a brief study of how Rapunzel as a literature
can be introduced in a child's early life and what are its effects on the life of the child
(Wilson, 2003). In the paper, there is an elaborate study of how Rapunzel have an impact on
the imagination and the literary development of the child. For instance reading Rapunzel to
the children will help in enhancing their imagination about the looks of Rapunzel as well as
the witch. It also explains the importance of various resources in introducing literature in the
life of the child.
Discussion
Learning Resource
Category of the Resource Name of the resource
Storybook
(From which the story Rapunzel is
chosen)
Fig 1: Rapunzel story
(Source: www.storiestogrowby.org, 2019)

4LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
The Story Rapunzel is a German fairy tale in a
collection assembled by Brothers Grimm,
which was first published in 1812. A very
popular short story has been taught to various
children for a recreation purpose.
What is language?
The language is one of the most definite and different forms of character that human
beings possess. The National Council of Teachers of English and the International Reading
Association (1996), defines language as one of the broadest ways of defining the way of
expressing and working (Berger, 2005). The system helps in the development, acquisition,
maintenance, and use of a complex system of communication. According to scientists, the
study of language is linguistic. It has an important role in education for a better understanding
of children and communication. Rapunzel has been introduced in academics for children
below the age of five in order to develop the way of learning and language development for
children.
How do children learn to communicate?
There are two means of communication available for communicating with a child,
firstly paralinguistics (nonverbal) and linguistic (verbal). The most commonly used means is
the linguistic, wherein communication takes place with the help of oral or written means of
language. However, in children below the age of three, communication takes place majorly
with the help of paralinguistics, wherein the educator or the family communicates with the
help of playing. The story Rapunzel is being taught by reading it aloud to the children along
with enacting them the various stages this helps in the development of the children’s
literature and language. At an early age, stage children communicate through cooing, crying
cuddling or smiling (Wilson, 2003). Then with time, children learn to communicate with the
use of symbols or pointing to things that they want.
Importance of physical and aesthetic characteristics of the resource
The use of storybook is an important part of language and literature education.
Reading Rapunzel will enables the growth of interest of the child towards literature. The

5LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
teacher assures that a child enjoys the way of reading Rapunzel to develop the literature value
in the child. Reading Rapunzel to the children in the early years helps in the development of
the brain along with building the foundation for future achievement at school or the
workplace. Researches show that frequently reading to children helps in better academic
achievements especially at the age of four to nine years. Books are the sources of information
and knowledge. It provides a wide range of topics to the children for their development as
well as enhancement ideas and imagination. Reading Rapunzel provides opportunities to
know about different events and places that the child may not have come across in their real
life such as the story has the high tower, which the children hardly knows about, this will
helps in the development of the imagination of the children. Moreover, it helps in the
development of fine motor skills, wherein the child learns how to manipulate objects such as
turning pages, lift the flap to see what is underneath.
Researchers have found that reading stories like Rapunzel to children help in the
development of spatial skill, which is the ability to understand and mentally manipulate
shapes and figures, the child tries to find out the length of the hair of Rapunzel and imagines
how it can be used as a rope to pull the prince up to the tower. In the development of this kind
of skills helps in the development of activities and languages that caregivers use with the
children. Researchers have found a vast range for language that children are exposed to, as
said by Patrick, and this has the potential of creating an early spatial skills gap
(Mantzicopoulos & Patrick, 2011). Children get attracted to the images in the storybooks,
which helps in the enhancement of the imagination of the child developing the creativity of
the child.
Children’s literature promotes language development
The reading of Rapunzel helps in the development of children's language
development is in several ways. Surveys found children's literature help in rich use of
language and images, vicarious experience help in developing the imagination of the child
(Berger, 2005). It provides a conceptual understanding of the images and symbolic system.
Multiple reading helps in triggering questions in the child encouraging new thoughts and
imagination (Jalongo, Dragich, Conrad & Zhang, 2002). It evokes a range of different
communities, cultures of the world and ways of being. It also helps in the forms of learning
and reading, adding depth and pleasure to life.

6LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
The educational potential of the storybook
The following are the goals of learning and literature that can be achieved with the use of
the storybook:
 It encourages the promotion of the development of symbol use and mental
representation of the thoughts, feelings, and knowledge (Evans, 2009).
 It evaluates as well as interprets various forms of literature.
 Reading Rapunzel helps in better writing developing writing skills and illustrations.
 Reading Rapunzel helps in the multiple perspectives of cultural experience as well as
the development of individual experience.
 It increases the personal taste, interest, and experience of the child (Mantzicopoulos &
Patrick, 2011).
 The child can witness the linguistic complexity and extended vocabulary.
 There is a growth in the vocabulary as well while reading Rapunzel.
Development of literature in children from birth to five years
A child starts to respond and communicate before birth, as well. They have a unique
way of reflecting. Before birth babies respond and communicate with speech and music, they
respond to familiar sounds and can discriminate between males and females. Adults can
communicate with the help of music, talking or singing. In infants from birth to two years,
old literature can be introduced in their life with the practice of storytelling, playing while
singing rhymes and poems. This helps in the development of the brain as well as in the
triggering of imagination. The introduction of the sound and language-rich environment helps
in the learning of language and increases communication (Lee & O'Rourke, 2006). Children
can also be provided with a storybook that has images these helps in the development of the
literature, imagination as well as the creativity of the child. In toddlers, they start to enjoy
rhymes, poems, and songs. While reading Rapunzel they start to pronounce names and
remember them. However, grammatical learning and construction of sentences keep on
developing in the toddlers. They start to scribble, draw and mark; which is the beginning of
their understanding of pictures and images. In preschool children, there is an understanding
of the relationship (Mackenzie, 2011). They start to develop their imagination and start to
imagine and make stories of themselves helping in the increase in the creativity level as well
as the literature development. They start to speak and communicate with family and friends.

7LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
How did the resource help develop the language?
Reading Rapunzel have a great impact on the learning process of the child (Nolan &
Reynolds, 2008). It helps in the enhancement of motor skills. It also helps in developing the
creativity of the child. Reading Rapunzel to the child would help in the development of
vocabulary and understanding of the language. It has been researched that reading books to a
child helps in a better understanding of the words and the languages. Children who have
experienced literature from early childhood have better communication skills (House & Rule,
2005). Moreover, reading books helps in a better understanding of the second language.
Hence, reading books is an important aspect of literature.
How it is beneficial to:
-An individual: It helps in the understanding of new words and languages with the
development of the motor skills along with concentration and interest towards the subject.
The more a child is exposed to reading books helps in success as it provides a vast knowledge
about the world and the environment around them.
Fig 2: Reading to an individual
(Source: Eisenberg, 2019)
-A small group: Reading Rapunzel involves the use of different repetitive words increasing
the word stock of the child (Mackenzie, 2011). Hearing different words with different sounds
helps in memorising the words for a longer period. It increases communication among the
children, as they will discuss the story that has been read out to them.

8LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Fig 3: Reading to a small group
(Source: Australia, 2019)
-A large group: Reading Rapunzel help in the exposure of brain exercises. Often educators
allot various tasks to the child after the story has been read out; this helps in brain
development and increase in the concentration of the child. This helps in the development of
the creativity of the child. However, reading books to a large group may not be as beneficial
as reading to an individual or a small group (Nolan & Reynolds, 2008). Reading Rapunzel to
a large group can lead to distraction and different interpretations of the story.

9LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Fig 4: Reading to a large group
(Source: Australia, 2019)
Conclusion
The paper is the study of the importance of literature in the life of life if introduced in
an early stage. Literature has various impacts on the development of the child's language. The
parents and children play a vital role in introducing literature in the life of children. From
studies, it is proven that exposure to reading book develops the fine motor skills and enhances
the way of living of a child. It develops the interest and concentration of a child. Moreover,
reading Rapunzel also develop the listening skill of a child. Hence, it can be concluded that
reading books to children helps in the moulding of the character of the child along with their
skills.

10LANGUAGE AND LITERACIES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Reference List
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