Why do we learn language?
To connect with others
To understand understand the world
To reveal ourselves

Language development of young children:

• Baby’s cry
• Cooing
• Smiling and laughing
• Babbling
• Association
• One word usage
• Recall
• Telegraphic speech
• Multiword speech

Language skill development:

• Stage 1: Response (0-6 months)
  E.g. Smile, gaze when hearing voices
• Stage 2: Vocalization (6-10 months)
  E.g. babble, use other vocal signal other than crying
• Stage 3: Word development (10-18 months)
  E.g. mama, dada, doggie
• Stage 4: Sentences (18 months – 3 years old)
  E.g. me want chok-quit(chocolate)
• Stage 5: Elaboration (3-5/6 years old)
  E.g. you’re my best mummy, you can hold my turtle at bet-bis(breakfast)
• Stage 6: Graphic presentation (5+-8 years old)
  E.g. drawing

Theories of language emergence:

• Behaviourist/Environmentalist (Stimulus-Response) Theory
• Maturational (Normative) Theory
• Predetermined/Innatist Theory
• Cognitive-Transactional/Interactional Theory
• Constructivist Theory

Professional in the field of Early Childhood Education are people who are:

• committed to caring for all children within the contexts of both family and the community
• high tolerance for ambiguity
• flexible
• has specialized education and training in child growth and development and early childhood education
• possess certain body of knowledge shared by others in the profession
• has specialized set of skill essential to caring for and educating young children
• committed in providing healthiest and most psychologically sound experiences for young children
• articulates the essentials of developmentally appropriate practices to others
• participates in the early childhood profession at large through membership in early childhood professional organization
• accountable to a professional code of ethics
• expects ongoing professional development

Distinct characteristics:

• Ethical performance that is fair
• A high level of “essential” expertise and skills combined with “sensitivity” to meaningful patterns and the capacity to use “varying levels of flexibilities in their approach to new situation”
• A body of deep knowledge and skills that lay people do not possess
• Considerable autonomy in practice and control entry into the profession
• Commensurate compensation
• Professional organization

New semester started. I don’t feel like updating this blog anymore. Should I close it or just let it rot here? Hmmm…

This semester I’m having Becoming An Early Childhood Professional and Language and Literacy for Young Children. Lots and lots of theories.

Finally done with the exam last week and now another week is going to be over soon. Next week will start the 6th semester.

Finally got my result few weeks back and I’m happy with it. Got A for both.

This semester exam should be doing OK as well.

I just realized it’s be been more than one month since I updated this blog. Let’s see if I have the mood to update it this coming semester.

It’s almost the end of this new semester already and last semester’s result isn’t out yet! What are they doing there?!?!

Anyway, I think I might have to abandon this blog for the time being or maybe close it, got no time at all to update this blog and not in the mood at all. Gone are the enthusiasm.

We’ll see how…

Following the particular child around and take detailed field notes for analysis later. Favoured by education practitioners as it can help in improving learning environment for children.

Use specifically on “new” child or “problematic” baby or whenever there is an obvious reason to get detailed observation of that particular child.

Recording on a pro forma or observation sheet in form of short-hand codes and long-hand details providing an account of what the child said, do and with whom.

Advantages:

• Flexible
• For research interests and questions

Disadvantages:

• Hard to use
• Need qualified observer

Graphic Scales

• Similar behaviour could be listed on the same scale.
• Drawn horizontally or vertically.
• Easier to construct but not easy to use.
• Must know the child well, interpret behaviour, make objective judgment within limited time.

Numerical scales

• Numerical in form, scored by number of the behaviour that is circled
• Rate children for as long as it takes, can average the scores if observe on daily average
• Number on scale also represent words

Osgood scale aka semantic differential

• Not easy to use
• 7-point range with adjectives of opposite (bipolar) meanings at either end
• A number of traits have to be included to have a comprehensive profile of the child

Advantages:

• Easy to design
• Convenient
• Observe large number of traits at one time or more than one child a a time
• Measure difficult-to-quantify traits e.g. shyness, friendliness
• Anyone can use
• Easier to score and quantify

Disadvantages:

• Closed method
• Only for specific traits/behaviour, will overlook other important traits/behaviour
• Feature negative and also positive side of each trait
• Differentiating between each point and sometimes can be difficult
• Difficult to eliminate bias when judgment needs to be made immediately
• Different people has different way of interpreting a trait or behaviour

Checklist is a list of specific traits or behaviour arranged in logical order. Marks or check only when they are present. All checklist items should be positive, short, descriptive, understandable, parallel in constructions, objective, not judgemental, not repeated, and representative of behaviour.

Advantages:

• Easy, quick, efficient
• Don’t have to be trained to use it
• Can use in presence of the child or later
• Several observers can gather the same information to check for reliability
• Focus on many behaviours at one time
• Useful for curriculum planning for individuals

Disadvantage

• “Closed” in nature, can only observe what is stated in the checklist
• Limited to “presence” or “absence” of behaviour
• Lack of information about quality and duration of behaviour and a description

Who can teach Science?

• Someone who is able to maintain classroom atmosphere.
• Someone that have postive attitudes.
• Someone who can nurture and willing to participates in various activities.

Teacher roles

• Choose a focus for inquiry and ensure it’s age appropriate.
• Prepare for the activities.
• Ensure suitable environment for the activities.
• Observe and assess the children engagement in the activities.

Teaching roles

• Be a facilitator.
• Be a catalyst.
• Be a consultant.
• Be a model.

Environmental roles

• The family:
  - Respond positively to the child’s excitements
  - Encourage and motivate the child
  - Provide continuous support
• The communities:
  - Provide resources and facilities