The PEAL Center

Play in early childhood is vitally important to learning. It is through play that children begin to develop stories with one another about how the world works. Language/Literacy growth begins as soon as the child begins to explore and make sense of the surrounding world. Unfortunately, many adults do not recognize this and don’t know how to think about communication and language for young children other than through speech alone.

Let’s Play: Building Language and Literacy into Every Day is a Language/Literacy Resource Guide that will help parents know what to look for so they can see the beginning stages of language and literacy development in their young children, both with or without disabilities. Parents will learn how to balance an interest in the young child’s speech with opportunities to develop, use and strengthen the other language systems to support the expansion of early speech efforts.

An overwhelming amount of research now demonstrates that all language systems develop together (“Concurrent Model of Language/Literacy Development.” We cannot separate the literacy community from the social community. This packet of information shows how language, symbols and thinking or cognition develop in interaction.

We have more than 1,000 packets to distribute across Pennsylvania. If you are interested in a copy, email mallen@pealcenter.org.

CONTENTS:

* DVDs of Tiny Fingers to Tiny Voices: Sign Language for Beginners

* Building Blocks for Literacy and Language by Christopher Kliewer, Ph.D., University of Northern Iowa

* Family Information Guide to Assistive Technology, Sections 1 & 2: Family Center on Technology and Disability

* Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL): CellCasts, CellVideos

Samples of CELL Practice guides:

Talking/Listening: Babble On, Who's Listening?, Listen Up

Reading/Stories: Tell Me, Read Again, Being a Storyteller

Drawing/Writing: Infant Finger Drawing, Write Right, Art of Writing

Rhymes/Sounds: Diaper Ch-Ch-Changes, Fun Finger Games, Movin' and Groovin' Nursery Rhymes

Gestures/Signing: Infant Signing Dictionary, Sign a Song, Sign me Up

This packet was produced with funds from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Special Education through the State Personnel Development Grant, CDF 84.323A, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education, Office of Special Education Programs.