The Teacher That Reads: The Tools of Early Literacy

Verse of the Day: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

In order to understand the importance of early literacy, one must consider that it makes up a crucial percentage of a child's ability to grow and adapt to the world around them through their: reading, writing and comprehension skills. Teachers themselves must be equipped with these skills at a more advanced level than most in order to be effective in producing a core curriculum around them. It is important for a teacher to continue educating themselves on the matters of reading, writing and overall comprehension that will allow them to pinpoint, and redirect any discrepancies in a child's ability to grasp their lessons. There are three ways this can be accomplished: online/in person training courses, researching learning tools and articles that strengthen your core knowledge on the topic, and in-service training dedicated to the topic in its entirety.

There are thousands of online courses for teachers that are eager to begin the

early stages of literacy in their classrooms. The ELC of BigBend is your online source for developing your classroom's academic achievements. Classes are provided through your childcare staff and are provided year-round. Teachers are free to sign up for a class/classes at any time through their providers advising/approval. Think of it as your own personal classroom of higher learning. There are deadlines and schedules assigned by active online instructors, so it’s greatly encouraged to complete assignments thoroughly. Assignments are graded based on the comprehension and completion of the topic (which means you must be able to 1. READ not skim, 2. Be able to UNDERSTAND what you have read, and 3. Compose a response that shows you are ready to apply what you have learned in the classroom.) See how that works?

Aside from the ELC, there are other online tools and sources available to teachers who are in search of literacy based materials and activities. Teacherspayteachers.com is an online resource store that provides enriching academic activities for your classroom. Printable books, charts, letter cards, puzzles, worksheets, props, coloring pages and more can be downloaded for free directly from the site. I strongly recommend this to anyone who's searching for creative and effective ways to provide and encourage hands-on learning materials for their students.

Most childcare providers are usually required to have a certain number of in-service training hours for their staff within a year. This is a golden opportunity to acquire firsthand knowledge on how a classroom curriculum should be upheld. You are given materials to study and research, as well as being given the chance to ask questions to those who are more seasoned and proficient in the areas of early literacy. Be sure to ask your administration about upcoming in service events in order to be in attendance.

As Teachers, we learn in order to teach. Early literacy is a vital root in the tree of a child’s education and should always be treated as such. Equipping ourselves with the tools necessary to provide them with the skills needed to read, write and comprehend will continue the precious cycle of learning in our community. A child's desire and enthusiasm for learning starts with a teacher's own desire to learn.

I may have left the classroom, but in my seven years, I learned quite a bit and I intend to use what I have learned to continue educating in through my writing. :) thank you all for reading and as always...

"For the love of life and literature, stay prayerful, stay positive, and write on!"