Language Learning in Early Childhood: Oral Language, Storytelling and Literature for Children

Unit 19: Language Learning in Early Childhood Education and Oral Language

Objectives: The following objectives guide the teaching of oral language for and from the first years of schooling:

• Understand and express messages.
• Use language to interact with language communities.
• Develop oral language content, vocabulary, and oral texts.
• Evoke and relate experiences, stories, and incidents.
• Value and recognize the oral language of others.
• Make an effort to improve and enrich one's own language production.

Didactic Orientations

1. Climate: Create an atmosphere of affection and confidence.
2. Model: The educator should offer a rich language model.
3. Situations: Create situations where it is necessary to speak.
4. Stories and narratives: Use stories and storytelling as an instrument of control over one's behavior.

Language learning should be oriented toward the objectives of interest for the child: reading, interpreting, and producing images, written texts as content, and the medium of communication, information, and enjoyment. This includes interpreting images, maps, drawings, photos, and other visuals accompanying written texts. Language should be valued for its utility.

Methodological Orientations

Take advantage of children's motivation and their interest in expressing themselves. Sports activities and games can be an effective way to involve language, used by the educator as a model. Storytelling is a very important resource.

Techniques and Resources for Comprehension and Oral Expression

Characteristics: Broad communication range. Avoid interference and the dangers of the factors involved.

Resources by dimension:

• Techniques and articulation: tongue twisters (trabalenguas), songs, oral games, breathing exercises, and motor exercises.
• Vocabulary: vocabulary exercises, assemblies, and dialogue.
• Conversation: conversation, dramatization, locution, rhymes and descriptions, rhythms and cadences, and narration.
• Creativity: brainstorming, exaggerations, impossible situations, synectics, creative analogy, stories, and songs.

Intervention in Language Contact

Language contact occurs in subjects who use two or more languages alternately. Educational intervention may take the form of bilingual programs, maintenance programs, immersion, segregation, or submersion.

Strategy: Starting a second language at 3 or 4 years old is advisable. The learning process should follow the natural process of acquiring the mother tongue, involving the child in their entirety. It is necessary to encourage expression and communication. Playful sports activities that motivate children are very effective.

Unit 20: Children's Literature

Concept: Children's literature is aimed at children and includes all the artistic and sports manifestations that stimulate the child, using words and movement as basic tools.

Literary Genres

Stories, fables, and songs can be considered a procedure for developing full expression. Guessing games introduce oral language later (ages 4 to 5) and require attention and participation. Theater holds special importance for children, who participate not only as spectators but as actors.

The educational value of storytelling lies in the fact that a story has a recreational character and true narrative force.

Objectives

• Foster the creative development of the child.
• Develop habits of artistic sensitivity through images.
• Increase expressive vocabulary with a broad, clear, concise, and suggestive oral language.

Characteristics and Advantages of Stories

• A story should have educational value and be scaffolded in a simple cause-and-effect sequence.
• Characters should be easily recognizable, with motivations and feelings close to the child's own experience.
• Structure should be open and flexible, allowing memorization and transmission.
• Speed of action, simplicity, and mystery should be balanced.
• Linguistic memory learns without obstacles.

Selecting Stories by Age

• 0 to 2 years: Predominance of word and movement. Images should not have text. Stories should reflect situations from daily life and should not produce fear or terror.
• 2 to 4-5 years: Children like fantasy, magic, and romance. They enjoy telling stories of their own. Illustrations should be accompanied by short texts.
• 5 to 6 years: Gradual introduction to written language. Texts should be well-structured, and the internal structure should be different from the story told.

Storytelling Practice

Select stories that are neither too long nor too short, to avoid boredom. Use uninterrupted action, a clear book, and direct, attractive images with rich colors. Activities may include oral language analysis, vocabulary work, comprehension questions, dramatization, and body psychomotor activities.

Logic-mathematical activities may include sequencing, spacing, and number concepts. Plastic activities may include drawing characters, rhythmic movement, and inventing songs. Change voice tone for each character and invent sports activities related to the story.

Give creative and suggestive titles to stories. Show the cover image first, and invite children to tell what they think the story is about. Change some characteristics of the characters, and tell several stories in a row.

Classroom Library: Organizational Aspects

The classroom library should function as a resource center. Its organization should meet several conditions so that its functions are fulfilled. Books should be placed on accessible shelves, and a library corner should be beautifully arranged in the classroom. Care should be taken to avoid discrimination in the selection and display of books.