From Babbling to Books: Building Pre-Reading Skills
Young children who perform better than their peers in reading do so for several reasons, but one of the
most overlooked is this – lots of family talk. Far too many young children come to school with poor oral
language skills because they just don't know enough words. The good news is that helping a young child
is simple. By engaging kids in rich stories and having meaningful conversations with them, you – as a
parent or a daycare provider or a preschool teacher – can help improve their oral language skills, which
will eventually help them become better readers.
This 60-minute webcast stresses the importance of working with young children early to develop
language and pre-reading skills. It will provide adults who work with young children with research-based
strategies that can help lay the foundation for building strong readers. This webcast is sponsored in part
by Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company.
From Babbling to Books: Building Pre-Reading Skills is available for purchase at our online
store, LearningStore (http://store.yahoo.com/cgi-bin/clink?yhst10465436039431+Xt5CMD+we1136d.html+) .
Presenters
Todd R. Risley is professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Alaska and former professor of
human development and senior scientist of the Bureau of Child Research at the University of Kansas.
He is the co-author of Meaningful Differences in the Everyday Experience of Young American Children
and Learning to Talk.
Sharon Landesman Ramey is the director of the Center for Health and Education at Georgetown
University. Drs. Sharon and Craig Ramey are widely considered to have done the most extensive work
to date on what permanently enhances development in young children. Their numerous studies have
shown dramatic gains in learning and accomplishment as the result of nurturing care in early childhood.
Julie Washington is a professor in the department of audiology and speech language pathology at
Wayne State University. Her research focus is language development and language disorders in African
American children at the time of school entry and emergent literacy skills of high-risk preschoolers.
To receive full extra credit points, carefully observe the webcast and respond to each question
showing a "thick understanding" of what you observed and learned.
In a Word Document write each guided question and respond below each question.
1. Explain what Dr. Risley says about how language is developed in babies and young children.
2. Explain what Dr. Washington discusses and shares as to how language is developed in young
children. Include the example she provided.
3. Explain how a child begins to assign meanings to words.
Sample Solution
. Dr. Risley's Explanation on Language Development in Babies and Young Children
Dr. Risley emphasizes the crucial role of rich language exposure in fostering language development in babies and young children. He highlights that young children's language skills can be significantly enhanced by engaging them in conversations, reading stories aloud, and singing songs.
Dr. Risley emphasizes the importance of quantity and quality of language interactions. He explains that the more words children hear, the more likely they are to develop strong language skills. However, the quality of these interactions also matters. Engaging children in meaningful conversations, asking open-ended questions, and responding to their babbling with enthusiasm can further stimulate their language development.
Dr. Risley underscores the value of starting early. He notes that early language exposure sets the stage for future language development and academic success. By actively engaging with children from a young age, parents and caregivers can play a pivotal role in shaping their language skills.
- Dr. Washington's Insights on Language Development in Young Children
- Assigning Meanings to Words