Children seldom misquote. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn’t have said.
- Author Unknown
Hoffnung et al (2010) point out that intelligence testing can contain a number of biases, influencing the outcome. Language ability is an important bias.
For bilinguage children whose home language is different from that used in the school setting, this is a significant issue. Teachers and students often lack appropriate teaching and learning resources in a child’s first language, let alone assessment tools. The International Reading Association states that bilingual children gain skills in literacy best when they have reading and writing resources in their home language.
There appears to be an issue in NZ between the teaching and assessment tools available and the test results for Pacifica children. Below is a link to an article from Auckland University, voicing the concerns, frustration and angst of the Pacifica Community as they witness the government stopping the production of Pacifica language reading resources, yet the government quotes figures of under achievement for Pacifica children in literacy. This is a striking example of how a testing structure may not provide a true picture of a child’s ability.
http://www.hekupu.ac.nz/Journal%20files/Issue1%20March%202011/Patisepa%20Tuafuti.pdf
The pause in production of Pasifika resources (the Tupu series) affects more than children’s assessments, it also impacts the value seen to be placed on Pasifika language and culture, and seems to contradict accepted bilingual language teaching - children who are secure in their home language will more readily learn a second language.
The move was criticised in this article, which said that “Bilingualism has also been identified as a major contributor to the overall academic success of Pasifika students in New Zealand schools.”
The article posted by alistin broadens the definition of literacy to include the transmission of culture, identity and much more:
“In a comprehensive discussion of what literacy is, Baker (1995) writes that to some cultures literacy is about reading, writing and promoting abstract thought, rationality and critical thinking; while to other cultures, literacy is about oral language, memorisation, and transmission of beliefs and values that illuminate the knowledge of heritage and ethics”.
Reblogging as I agree that the decision to stop production of reading materials in pacific languages is short sighted in that it goes against the accepted best practice in bilingual education as well as undermining the future success of Pacific students.
Pacific children have every right (just as all children do) to reading books in their particular language, and I also agree that the decision to stop the production is not OK!
Every child is a blessing and it’s up to us as a society to protect them and provide a positive environment where they can grow safely, inclusively and acknowledging of the fact that they are not alone in this world.
How very true!
During primary school years, children become better at waiting their turn to speak, and at picking up turn-taking cues in conversations.
Child abuse is more than bruises and broken bones. Other types of abuse, such as emotional abuse or child neglect, also leave deep, long-lasting scars. By learning common types of abuse and where to get help, you can make a huge difference in a child’s life.
Learning to Write
Even though we do it every day, writing is one of the most complex tasks that humans engage in, involving both motor and critical-thinking skills. It’s not surprising that learning to write is a process that takes years to complete. It also happens in order, with each skill building on the last.
As with reading, kids are aware of writing from infancy, especially when they’re exposed to it regularly. By being read to and seeing you write, your child begins to understand at a very young age that written words have meaning.
It’s only a matter of time before kids start trying to create words on their own. All children start writing by scribbling, an activity most toddlers enjoy. To do it, they must use coordination to hold the crayon, keep the paper still, and apply enough pressure to make a mark on the paper.
As time goes on, with lots of practice, they’ll start to realize that not only can they make marks to create a pattern, but by repeating the same movements, they can make the pattern again.
source: http://kidshealth.org/
Practicing Writing
At around 3 or 4 years old, kids may start to practice writing, and included among the scribbles may be recognizable letters. For example, you may notice your child writes all of the letters of his or her name in a seemingly random way on different parts of the piece of paper. That’s because kids learn to write individual letters before they learn how to put them together to form a word.
As they continue to read and develop an understanding of how words work, kids start to understand how to group letters into words. Between kindergarten and first grade, most learn to put letters together into words and will use these words to label pictures that they draw. Kids this age usually use only capital letters and will not include spaces between words. They will also use “invented spelling,” writing words with no vowels (for example, BBYDLL for baby doll).
Eventually, with practice and formal schooling, kids learn what are called the conventions of print — writing from left to right, the difference between uppercase and lowercase letters, how to put spaces between words, and how to use correct spelling in most instances.
As kids get older and develop more motor control, their handwriting becomes smaller and neater. Between second and fourth grade, kids learn to write in cursive and will apply the conventions of handwriting automatically.
source: http://kidshealth.org/
Importance of Handwriting
Even as we move to a society driven by keyboards, kids still need to learn to write by hand. Handwriting is so much more than simply putting letters on a page; it is a key part of learning to read and communicate. In fact, experts think that developing writing skills reinforces reading skills and vice versa.
In order to read, a child needs to understand that letters stand for sounds and that the sounds are put together to make words. Learning to write letters is an important part of this understanding.
When preschoolers start imitating the letters that they see around them, they show that they understand the connection between the sounds they hear and the words they see on the page. When kindergartners use “invented” spelling, they’re practicing writing words the way they sound, which helps them as they learn to read. When first-graders use words to create a poem or write about an experience, they’re experimenting with language and sharing their stories with those around them.
As kids grow older and start to use a keyboard, the motor control and communication skills they’ve gained through handwriting will help them become more successful writers because they’ll know how to transfer their thoughts into words.
Handwriting is also important because kids are required to use it daily in school from kindergarten on. Children who struggle with the mechanics of handwriting may have trouble taking notes or tests or completing their schoolwork. This can affect both their self-esteem and their attitude toward school.
source: http://kidshealth.org/
CHILDREN’S PEER RELATIONSHIPS
Children’s friendships have inevitable ups and downs. Yet the feelings of satisfaction and security that most children derive from interacting with peers outweigh periodic problems. For a number of children, however, peer relations are persistently problematic. Some children are actively rejected by peers. Others are simply ignored, or neglected. It even appears that some popular children have many friends but nevertheless feel alone and unhappy.
