DOCUMENT RESUME ED 364 321 PS 021 785 TITLE Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Education: Course on Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Education (Haifa, Israel, October 25-December 20, 1992). INSTITUTION Mount Carmel International Training Centre, Haifa (Israel). REPORT NO ED-93/WS/13 PUB DATE 93 NOTE 176p.; Your..f. Child and the Family Environment Project Series 2, AVAILABLE FROMThe YCF Project, UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France. PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) Collected Works - Conference Proceedings (021) -- Books (010) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC08 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Bilingual Education; Bilingualism; *Child Development; Diglossia; Early Childhood Education; *Early Reading; Family Influence; Foreign Countries; *Language Acquisition; *Literacy; *School Readiness IDENTIFIERS Biliteracy; *Early Writing; *Emergent Literacy; Mediated Learning Experience ABSTRACT The purpose of a 1992 course on emergent literacy in early childhood education was to formulate a shared definition of literacy; create awareness of the developmental process involved; test previous assumptions, methods, and techniques in the light of new knowledge; and develop pedagogic approaches and curricula relevant to the existing conditions in the course participants' communities. Following an introduction, this publication contains the major lectures delivered during the course: (1) "Introduction to Literacy" (Rina Michalowitz);(2) "Acquisition of Language and Literacy" (Dorit Ravid);(3) "Sensory-Motor Integration as a Precursor of Literacy Skills" (Luba Zuk);(4) "The Developmental Bases for School Adjustment" (Galia Rabinovitz); (5) "Language, Reading and Reading Programs" (Miriam Gillis-Carlebach); (6) "Emergent Literacy--From Theory to Practice" (Ilene Zeiler); (7) "Emergent Literacy: Children's Ways of Writing in Preschool Years" (Ana Sandbank);(8) "Literary Acquisition in a Diglossia Situation" (Jihad Iraki);(9) "Literacy, Development and Bilingual Education" (Hanna Ezer); (10) "Bilingualism and Biliteracy" (Elite Olshtain); and (11) "Promoting Flexibility in Young Children's Minds within the Family--A Cross Cultural View" (Pnina Klein). References are included with all but the first lecture, and a list of course participants is appended. (TJQ) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U II DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office o4 Educahonal Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) XThis 60Cument has been reproduce( as recemed Irorn the person or organor &Iron 1 II. Originatong it e4 0 Minor changes have been made to improve er) reproduction Quality Points of view or opinions staled in 15,5 doCu ment do not hecesunly represent official en3 OE RI position or policy ?, EMERGENT LITERACY I N / EARLY ., CHILDHOOD EDUCATION "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANT D BY Also, i. i r-i TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" 2 BEST COPY AVAILABLE In this series: Famille en mutation dans une sociéte en nuuation (Co Bogue: Conseil international des femmes, Bruxelles, 1992) The universal and the national in preschool education (OMEP International Seminar, Moscow; December 1991) Emergent literacy in early childhood education '3 r EMERGENT LITERACY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION Course on Emergent Literacy in Early Childhood Education Haifa, 25 October - 20 December 1992 UNESCO The Go Ida Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center ED-93/WS/13 4 Authors are reslnsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this book and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit the Organization. UNESCO 1993 The Young Child and the Family Environment Project Requests for permission to quote or questions pertaining to copyright should be addressed to: The Mount Carmel International Training Center (MCTC), P.O. Box 6111, Haifa 31060, Israel. 5 Foreword UNESCO and Early Child Development Early childhood care and education is now viewed by scientificand educational research as the first and essential stage of the basic education process. Recent world conferences testify to a growingappreciation of the crucial importance of the child's earliest years, and of the need to support families and communities in their role as the child's most influential educator. Improving children'shealth and nutritionisafirstduty,but increasingly, in a situation where twelve out of thirteen of theworld's children survive until the age of one, governments and civil society are turning their attention to the psycho-social and cognitive developmentof children. There is ample evidence' to show that healthy chill dren who have experienced good early learning programmes are much nurelikely than other children to remain in primary school and achieve goodresults. In addition,countries that succeed inmobilizing local government, municipalities, communities and voluntary organizations in the care and education of very young children have been able to decentralise and innovate in their educational systems and, at the same time, make an important contribution toward population information and the education of women. UNESCO joins with other specialized agencies of the United Nations, in particular UNICEF and WHO, in assisting governments: to forge links at national level between between theprimary education system and early child development programming; to identify and support first-class universities andinstitutes which will research national needs and train high-level personnel to plan andanimate national or regional policies; to support model early childhood and family developmentprojects that stress the inner needs of children and the education of women; to promote legislation on behalf of children andfamilies, and in particular, the Convention on the Rights of the Child; I. See Myers, R. The 7We lye Who Survive, Rout ledge/UNESCO 1992 6 In addition, UNESCO in keeping with its educational, scientific and cultural mandate: encourages research leading to practical action in favour of young children and families; acts as a networking and clearing centre for information and briefings on early childhood; seeks to prepare children for schools and schools for children by encouraging and promoting respect for the young child's natural, learning process; collaborates inartistic,intellectualaridcultural events promoting reflection on childhood and family issues. For more information, please contact: The YCF Project UNESCO, 7 place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris 07 SP, France Fax. (33-1) 40.65.94.05 7 Preface Established in 1961, in Haifa, Israel, the Go lda Meir Mount Carmel InttrnationalTrainingCenter(MCTC),fosterscooperationwith developing countries through educational programs formiddle-level professionals. The courses are designed primarilytoincreasethe knowledge, skills and competence of students, most of whom, in their countries, are engaged in multiple tasks as community workers, teachers, administrators and supervisors. At the time the Center was founded, Israel was also copingwith many problems similar to those thatconfronted the newly emerging states, such as high rates of illiteracy, a highincidence of disease, a dearth of essential community services, and a lack of trained community and public service workers as well as of trainers. During the three decades since the initial study programs were launched, 6,050 participants from 118 countries of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America have attended139 courses, 39 workshops, 117 on-the-spot courses and 20 women leaders seminars. The courses have dealt with rural community development, the organizationofincome-generatingprojects,programsforyouth, volunteers, women's leadership, and early childhood education. They have bei n constantly reviewed and revised to accord with the changing needs and conditions prevailing in the participants' countries. Because of the overwhelming need to train women for community services, and the prolonged neglect in providing education for them, MCTC courses were at first open only to women. But from 1970 the Center began to accept male candidates as well. The co-educational courses proved successful and taught both the menand the women how to work together. However, women have generally been in the majority at MCTC and their problems have been given priority in the Center's study programs. Over the years, MCTC has developed working links with the specialized UN agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, FAO and ILO, and has cooperated with them on special projects. The Organization of American States (OAS) has granted travel stipends for study at MCTC and funds for new projects initiated by students after returning totheir countries.Networking iithnationalandinternationalwomen's organizations has enabled MCTC to enhance the dialogue among women active in public life from developing and industrialized societies. One of the ways this is done is through the organization of periodical women leaders' seminars. The training programs for early childhood education offered by the Center since 1963 recognize that education is an essentialpart of community development. These programs initially focused on training personnel to serve the development needs of young children and prepare them to enter formal education settings. In recent years, the Center has conducted study programs for early childhood