0.1 Chatterbox and early literacy in trinidad and tobago  (Page 2/3)

2. A brief look at some aspects of the Literature on ORAL LANGUAGE AND EARLY LITERACY: CHILDREN GROW into language/talk through acquiring and participating in community interactions and speech scripts. They learn their roles and language in home, school and community settings. "Children acquire scripts (sequences of actions and words) from various interactions with people...and the adults in their families and communities structure these scripts for children to help them to learn. Gradually children internalize the adult rules for making meaning" (Bowman, 1989). Young children test meanings as they learn. They learn the attitudes and values that adhere to language use /spoken and written. All of this may form a part of "their meaning-making apparatus" which they are developing while they are in pre-school (3-5yrs) and which will affect their Literacy development.

With regard to the Oral Language-Literacy link, this comment by Catherine O'Callagan in a Review of the Handbook of Early Literacy (2001) gives ample evidence of a positive relationship between the two:"The Handbook on Early Literacy Research reiterates the findings that a key factor in successful early literacy acquisition is immersion in a rich oral language environment. Rita Watson in 'Literacy and Oral Language: Implications for Early Literacy Acquisition' presents a new argument for its importance by stating that the relationship between oral language and Literacy is bidirectional. As children are exposed to different text in shared readings, read alouds or show and tell, they develop an understanding for different forms of discourse. These new conceptualizations of text become the foundation for metalanguage and critical thinking. Watson concludes that participating in communicative events facilitates the acquisition of competence to succeed in Literacy in school. Development of this communicative competence through immersion in oral language becomes an important building block for early success in Literacy."

3. MAKING MEANINGFUL USE OF CHILD CHAT: Writing from my experience with young children and ECCE teachers during the last 15 years, this writer "predicts" that the Literacy development of young children who will speak an English-based creole occurs within a "community language nest" as the children acquire and test meanings and that their Literacy learning forms a part of their search for meaning.Productive use of their chat in their beginning creole styles coupled with hearing Standard English being read to them from entertaining texts, will increase their capability to grow into Language with conversation, interaction during texts and role play. They should not be locked away in the "proper-English-broken English" syndrome that is so pervasive in our society.

4. DEVELOPING EARLY LITERACY: In the Caribbean we face some challenges with regard to developing programs in Early Literacy. However, some of the areas that teachers should pay attention to are: Phonemic and phonological awarenss , Reading to children (using books with multicultural themes) and talking with them in ways to bring their chat skills to bear on texts and events that will enlarge their experience.