Communication - Language and Literacy for Childhood -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theCommunication, Language and Literacy for Early Childhood. Answer: Introduction Young children are more like learning sponges and early child education deals around honing and molding a child, eventually shaping their fruitful future. Several researchers have been debating over the past regarding the literacy development of the children by including critical literacy in their developmental programs. Many of them even argued on the types of educational programs which are eligible for simple education and care. However, the major concern of the present days educational system should ensure that the teaching must be of high quality (Ahmad Esa, 2017). This acts as a major investment for the childs lifelong journey. The essay examines what critical literacy actually means and throws light on the controversy or debate about the inclusion of popular culture in early childhood education. It highlights the theoretical perspectives as well as approaches of critical literacys inclusion in the play based education and its impact on the childrens development. Moreover, the essay presents several critical arguments for and against the inclusion of critical literacy, made by authors and also its implications for diverse learners. In addition to this, it also discusses how critical literacy can be integrated in order to facilitate optimal language learning through the play based approaches. Discussion Children are given early education for improving their knowledge and skills at the younger age. Early childhood education contributes a lot to the overall growth and development of younger childrens personality. It has been observed that children learn the most at their young age. They try to adopt new behavior, experiences or words, which come their way. Educators and parents need to have a clear idea of how their children are developing, socializing and also how they are behaving with the elder ones. Moreover, the educators must research on the specific beneficiary factors like early educational programs, for the overall development of the kids (Baquedano Lpez, Alexander Hernandez, 2013). However, various researchers have claimed that including critical literatures in a play based approach helps the children to learn important things at the earliest stage. On the contrary, some said that including those may affect the childrens development, which in turn, will impact their learning procedure. This is a never ending debate and raised a controversy in many parts of the world. Engaging kids and making them learn through play based approach, has been a very common factor practiced my many pre schools (Bredekamp, 2016). This segment of the essay discusses about various factors, which surrounds the topic of critical literacys inclusion. Inclusion of Critical Literacy (For or Against) Critical literacy has its roots deeply embedded into the soil of critical theory. The term critical literacy mainly emphasizes on the belief that there is a measurable part of asymmetrical power relations and injustice in the society, and moreover, the situation is highly indefensible. It places literacy and language as central in the continuation and creation of the power relations. Critical literacy mainly recognizes the meanings that children create within the social context. This also includes the stereotypical understanding and knowledge. According to Baquedano Lpez, Alexander Hernandez (2013), in present educational settings, educators have been emphasizing on critical literacys inclusion into the Australian school curriculum. This is having a flow on influence over the early education curriculum as well as the practices there. Brooks Gunn, Berlin Fuligni (2013) examined that there are some kinds of critical literacy practices which can be included into the early childhood education. Young children need to be encouraged and motivated to consider themselves and engross into the texts of popular media, fairy tales and others. Bruce (2012) suggests that traditional fairy tales like Cinderella invites children into conversations regarding gender roles, which represents how females and males are positioned within the society. Critical literacy also gives an overview of the stereotypical society and gender roles, which are included in the childrens book. Educators emphasize by teaching them good values through implementation of critical literatures for their overall development. On the contrary, Calderon (2012) argued that inclusion of critical literacy into the childrens book questions simple education and brings in critical thoughts into their minds. Even at times, educators re-construct the phrases and rhymes given in the childrens textbooks. This in turn, invites deconstruction of the meanings, marring the education approach and perspectives, involving problems, which can even impact the young childrens minds. Moreover, critical literatures can affect the childrens minds in a negative manner. Campbell et al. (2012) mentioned that at times, children even interpret the in-depth meanings in their own way. Educators and teachers need to research on their teaching ways, in order to check that the children are learning the right thing. Moreover, teachers should support the children to explore various societal roles as well as characters that are represented in the texts. Duhn (2012) suggests that the children must be allowed to ask questions and clear their doubts, in order to learn the correct thing. In addition to this, they must be encouraged to negotiate or question on the basis of their assumptions regarding the textbook characters. According to Egan (2012), introducing the critical literacy experiences which vary from the norms can however, challenge the childrens current expectations or understandings regarding those texts. He further mentioned that for toddlers and infants, inclusion of the practices related to critical literacy can place a child into direct conflict with his/her gender expectations or parents beliefs. Implications over Diverse Learners In the recent years, schools have been emphasizing on the inclusion of critical literacy into the school curriculum. All the children are embedded into their social world and are continually exposed to significant influence over the multiple texts and world views. However, the messages which are constructed within the texts might not necessarily reflect the childrens experiences or the way they are seeing the world. The case is mainly common for the children belonging to the minority groups. Essa (2012) suggests that from infancy, kids are actually immersed into the texts of popular culture. Their understandings regarding good versus evil, gender, social power and others are highly affected by these texts of critical literatures. According to Gordon Browne (2013), educators view critical literacy as a specific way of engaging as well as understanding the culturally relevant pedagogy in the English classrooms. The culturally relevant pedagogy refers to the understanding of how the individuals are expected to learn about different cultures. However, educators need to gain knowledge regarding the cultures that are represented within the classrooms and then they must translate those into instructional practices. John Sons (2014) examined three particular principles of relevant teachings regarding culture. Firstly, the children must be given chance to experience academic success as well as intellectual growth. This can be done by helping them engage into activities which require them to solve and pose high order problems. Secondly, the kids must be given trainings regarding the development of cultural competencies as a mode of learning. They should view their cultures and identities as strengths. Thirdly, the kids must be motivated to develop critical and socio political consciousness, which allows them to critique the cultural institutions, values and norms that maintain and produce social inequities. The principles of the culturally relevant pedagogy are considered to be a bit complicated within the classrooms, where the educators cannot implement diversified ideas and struggle while incorporating those into the classrooms. Leu et al. (2014) gave several examples regarding incorporation of critical literacy for raising social consciousness among the children. He suggested that the young children should be given various opportunities of constructing and exploring knowledge. Teachers and educators who engage themselves into critical literacy create various opportunities and experiences for the students. They assist the children in actively constructing knowledge that is a problem posing methodology. However, Mallalieu, Palan Laczniak (2015) suggested that the classrooms are spaces, where the kids are allowed to interrogate regarding social conditions, via dialogues about several issues similar to their own lives. Moreover, he examined that knowledge emerges through invention or re-invention, through impatient, restless, continuing and hopeful inquiry, the human beings pursue all across the world. In addition to this statement, he said that for the kids to experience great academic success, the learning must have relevance with their experiences and lives. Integration of Critical Literacy for facilitating optimal language learning The inclusion or integration of the critical literacy in order to facilitate optimal language learning is certainly feasible, when it comes to developing critical responses of social changes. However, there are a variety of ways by which this element of critical learning can be easily incorporated or integrated within the early childhood practices. For facilitating optimal language learning, young children should be actively involved in various forms of civil actions. This can be done by negotiating the changes within the early childhood settings. Another way of introducing critical language learning is by encouraging the children to challenge on the ideologies that are presented within their textbooks (John Sons 2014). This can prove to be a transformative action plan, which will place the children in the situation of actively asking questions regarding their own lives as well as others. However, the vision of societal change is regarded as a fundamental factor of critical literacy, which raises some reasonable viewpoints and ethical considerations, while working with the younger children. In simpler terms, it is immensely important to take into consideration the positions which young children hold within the society. Children and toddlers are too much dependent on their families, not just for physical support but also for the sense of identity as well as security. Duhn (2012) explained that younger children are too much vulnerable to the power which every adult possesses and this factor can affect their self identity, intentions, actions, behavior, beliefs and understandings. Conclusion To conclude, along with critical literacy, educators are also emphasizing on the incorporation of socio cultural theory in the early childhood educational setting. However, this developmental approach has resulted into childrens learning regarding diversified culture, family, values, stereotypical thoughts which persists in the society and so on. The critical literacy requires the educators as well as teachers to gain an in-depth understanding regarding the validity and existence of diversity within the society. There has been an increasing importance over socially constructed and authentic learning among the children. The report focuses on the incorporation of critical learning within the early childhood education and its impact on the younger children. A closer examination reveals that majority of the educational centers have been emphasizing upon the importance of critical learning in early educational system. Moreover, many scholars and researchers have argued that critical learning has contributed a lot into the development of the childrens awareness regarding inequality and diversity. However, some scholars have given their opinion against critical learning. They felt that critical learning may hamper the kids learning procedure and it will mar the educational system. Therefore, this is a never ending debate; however, the thing that only matters is how the educators are incorporating it. References Ahmad, N. F., Esa, A. (2017). Early childhood education.Psychology, 47787-47789. Baquedano Lpez, P., Alexander, R. A., Hernandez, S. J. (2013). Equity issues in parental and community involvement in schools: What teacher educators need to know.Review of Research in Education,37(1), 149-182. Bredekamp, S. (2016).Effective practices in early childhood education: Building a foundation. Boston: Pearson. Brooks Gunn, J., Berlin, L. J., Fuligni, A. S. (2013). Early childhood intervention programs: What about the family?. Bruce, T. (2012).Early childhood education. Hachette UK. Calderon, R. (2012). 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