What?
The two readings I selected for this week were ‘Telling stories in the 21st
Century’ by Neville Dwyer (2008) and ‘Mathematics
Save the Day’ by Julie Clark (2007). I selected these readings as following
the tutorial last week and my reading blogs on the integrated nature of
literacy and numeracy in Early Childhood and how these skills correspond with
play and the learning that occurs through everyday situations. Consequently
this learning directed my thinking to the use of strategies to best incorporate
imaginative and creative thought within literacy and numeracy learning. The
question I particularly wanted to look further into was, how can the use of storytelling aid the development of literacy and
numeracy within preschool contexts?
So what?
The first article, ‘Telling
stories in the 21st century’ by Dwyer (2008) focused on the
implications of technology usage and how it can effect young children’s
learning by engaging children in becoming the creator of their own narratives,
based on everyday situations, helping them to develop critical thought
processes by developing deeper interests in the world around them. Dwyer (2008)
also evaluated the notion of children feeling in control of their literacy learning,
with recording stories and narratives via technology enabling young children to
become actively involved in the learning process through the use of digital media,
for example using photography and drama to depict and relate to stories and
ideas from their own environments.
The second article ‘Mathematics
Save the Day’ by Clark (2007) described how stories can be used to enhance
interest and engagement within the learning associated with numeracy. Children
learn best through doing, existing in their interpersonal worlds, therefore
using stories to teach numeracy concepts aids development as it allows children
to view ideas represented in exciting, visual ways and relate them back to
their everyday experience (Clark, 2007). The use of storytelling to teach
numeric concepts is also socially inclusive as stories allow for a range of
diverse learning needs by integrating everyday life with imagination (Clark,
2007).
Now what?
It is important for early childhood educators to implement a
range of teaching strategies to enable young children to use the multiple
thought processes associated with being literate and numerate and in a range of
contexts. By utilising a mix of everyday, directed, imaginative and play based
experiences educators can ensure that young children are able to explore
literacy and numeracy in a range of contexts and begin to connect their
learning back to experience and self-satisfaction within their explorations.
References
Clark, J. (2007). Mathematics Saves the Day. Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom,
12(2), 21-24. Retrieved
September 9, 2013, from A+ Education Plus Text Informit
Dwyer,
N. (2008). Telling Stories in the 21st Century. Every Child, 14(2), 32-33. Retrieved September 9, 2013, from A+ Education Plus Text Informit
I found your reading posts to be most interesting, especially the use of story telling to teach numeric concepts. This is a really interesting way to use literacy and numeracy in one. Also the way the you have linked it back to everyday situations in a range of contexts is great :)
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