Celebrating Literacy

Photo by Judi Moreillon

Celebrating Literacy! Enchanting Practices for the Primary Classroom

Presentation for International Reading Association
31st IRA SW Regional Conference, February 2006
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Presenters:
Jane Kurtz, Children's Book Author
Jennifer Ward, Children's Book Author
Toni Buzzeo, Children's Book Author and School Library Media Specialist
Judi Moreillon, Ph.D., Clinical Assistant Professor, Northern Arizona University, and Children's Book Author

Description of Program:
Participants will engage in an interactive workshop, which will demonstrate strategies for developing oral language, vocabulary, phonological awareness, listening skills, concepts about print, and meaning making in young children. The presenters will invite participants to rejoice in the rhythms, the rhymes, and the stories as well as celebrating the research and theory to support a holistic, constructivist, multicultural framework for these irresistible early literacy invitations.

Objectives:
Participants will:
1. Experience rich and playful oral language, which forms the sociocultural foundation for early literacy;
2. Rediscover story listening and adult-child conversations about texts as vital components of literacy learning;
3. Experience the joys of decontextualized (book) language through scaffolded encounters for making meaning with authentic literature written expressly for young children;
4. Engage in conversations related to the power of children's literature for classroom instruction.

Kyra Teis's illustrations and the poem from Read to Me were used as a framework for this presentation.
You can access those illustrations on the Kyra Teis Web site.

Beginning Upon a Lap	Sensitive and Meaningful Enculturation into the World of Books Positive feelings about books Brain Research related to Early Literacy (Looking, Focusing, Attending) "Parentese" and Interpretative Conversations	Judi Moreillon

Does it Matter What We Read?	Picture Books and Poems Writing for children versus Writing for instruction Making School Stories Familiar Stories - Patterned Language Role of rhythm and rhyme and lively language Alliteration - repetition of phonemes	Jennifer Ward: The Seed and the Giant Saguaro Jane Kurtz: Rain Romp Toni Buzzeo: Dawdle Duckling and Ready or Not, Dawdle Duckling

Songs	Songs and Family Stories Music and Memory Refrains/Repeated Lines- Predictability Funds of Knowledge (Moll)	Jennifer Ward: Over in the Garden Toni Buzzeo: Dawdle Duckling Judi Moreillon: "My Hands/Mis manos"

Funds of Knowledge	Home - Community Literacy	Judi Moreillon: "Stories within Stories" Bibliography (pdf file)

Enriched Play = Authentic Literacy Events	Fingerplays and Other Kinesthetic Participation (puppets) Play as literacy engagement Fine and gross motor skill development	Toni Buzzeo: Little Loon and Papa Judi Moreillon Playground Rhymes: "Ms. Sue"

Roles for Siblings, More Proficienct Peers	Cross-age Tutors ZPD with Peers (Vygotsky)	Judi Moreillon: ZPD

Reading Pictures	Artists and Art Visual Literacy Reading Illustrations (flannel board stories)	Jane Kurtz: Water Hole Waiting Toni Buzzeo: Ready or Not, Dawdle Ducking

Text-to-Text Connections	Canon of Children's Literature Author Studies Intertextual Connections	Judi Moreillon: The Canon Jane Kurtz: Do Kangarooms Wear Seat Belts? In the Small, Small Night Rain Romp Toni Buzzeo: Dawdle Duckling and Ready or Not, Dawdle Ducking

Planting the Literacy "Seed"	Modeling as Seed Planting Enriching the Curriculum through Literature	Jennifer Ward: Somewhere in the Ocean

Growing as Literate People	Complexity and Uniqueness of Literacy Development	Judi Moreillon: Louise Rosenblatt - Transaction Theory
Children's Books Cited References
updated: 24 January 2006