Rebecca Carreon

TLS312
Fierro
Benchmark Assignment
May 7, 2016
Child and Family Language and Literacy Development Case Study
Section A: General Summary and Description
My case study child is three years old. Her family consists of her mom, her dad, her
younger sister and their family dog. Her mom stays home to take care of the younger sister while
dad is mining engineer. My case study child started at my placement school in August of 2015. I
feel that the school is a great fit for her and her learning style. Throughout the year Ive been able
to observe her and how she developed her language and literacy skills.
My case study child has a literacy rich home environment. She is exposed to frequent
reading, a variety of books, and trips to the library 2-3 times a week. Her family engages her in
conversations in multiple settings and instances throughout the day. Her parents scaffold her
language learning by asking questions, expanding on the topics she is interested and extending
the discussion to cover a wider topic base. When playing outside, Pandora is usually set to the
nursery rhyme station and both girls sing along. This is gives my case study child a different
context of language and how it is used thus developing her phonemic abilities and
comprehension. Apart from music, my case study child is exposed to a lot of environmental
print. The family goes to Costco once a week and the print exposure there can be overwhelming
but my case study child has been successful in filtering the print and picking out letters that she
knows. At home, her parents have exposed her to a variety of materials including stickers and
refrigerator magnets that help in her acquisition of letter recognition. Currently, she is able to
spell her ten-letter first name and her three-letter nickname with no trouble. She is also able to

write these down without identifying the letters our loud or sounding them out. Those trips to
Costco, and activities shes done with her family have developed her symbol formation and
understanding the semantics of language. My case study child has a rich syntactic knowledge.
She uses pronouns like he, him, she, and it when talking about different people or
objects. She also has a good grasp of the concept of possession and the language that goes along
with it. She has no trouble adding s to the end of words although she may not necessarily be
able to recognize that in print. Through her frequent trips to the library, my case study child is
exposed to different conversations that develop her pragmatic knowledge. While reading with
her mom or sister, she is able to ask or answer questions pertaining to the text and make
connections to her own life and environment. My case studys oral language is also developed in
these conversations, I have noticed that she does substitute the L and W sound in her words.
This is no cause to worry because this phonemic substitution is common in preschoolers. Apart
from her home activities, my case study child is exposed to different vocabulary and pragmatic
styles in her extra curricular activities. These activities build on her semantic knowledge as she
learns to navigate the different contexts of words and the meanings behind them. My case study
child has a good grasp of the different aspects of language development. Both her home and
school communities have provided her with multiple opportunities to grow het interests in
reading and early writing. She has no problem conversing, reading stories, or even trying to write
her own texts.
As an educator Ive learned to pick up the subtleties of language development and how to
identify the aspects even though they might not necessarily be obvious at first glance. Through
this process Ive also learned to listen more closely to conversations Im hearing and try to
connect those conversations with what I know about the child and where they are pulling the

information. Ive learned that language and literacy are not one size fits all development tracks
and like other things, each child will learn differently and with varying timelines. Ive learned to
delve deeper into the students language by questioning them and extending their thoughts and
ideas through conversation. Building upon my case study childs strengths Ive chosen two
literacy activities from the book: Kidwatching. Both these activities will challenge her book
knowledge and print awareness skills. These activities will assess her literacy development from
the context of books and how she interacts with them.
Ive also learned the vitality of developing relationships with my students families and
how that positive relationship affects the child. Identifying and incorporating each childs funds
of knowledge is an integral part of learning and development. If they are able to make
connections to their own life, environment, and experience, the learning is so much more
powerful and lasting. Ive been blessed with the most accommodating family to share this
experience with and I look forward to keeping in touch as I move forward with my education and
eventually my career.

Section B: Using Data to Inform Instruction (Language Activity)

To extend my childs language knowledge I will implement a Post Office in my
classrooms dramatic play area. Otto states that these activities provide opportunities for
children to explore and practice using language in a variety of contextual situations. By
incorporating a Post Office, I am giving my students an open engagement that allows them to
exercise each of the five aspects of language development. The Post Office is also something
where connections to home life can easily be made.
My goals for this engagement are for the students to have conversations and use their
language to express what they need or want. To practice their semantics, I will encourage the
learning of new concepts by reading books that talk about the Post Office and how it operates.
Syntax will be practiced through the grammar I will model or what they hear from the stories and
each other. Through listening and speaking they will be able to refine their morphemic and
phonetic knowledge. Lastly, pragmatic knowledge will be challenged and developed when they
take on different roles and adjust their speech to fit the Post Office theme.
The materials that will be used in the center are culturally relevant and may even come
from the students homes. I will ask for donations of cards, envelopes, and even stamps. There
are organizations like the Postal Museum that will donate stamps from all over the world to us.
Each child can bring a piece of junk or non-essential mail like old birthday invites to display in
the classroom. There will also be a cash register, some phones, and a keyboard. There will be
bins to sort the mail the students bring in or create. Writing implements are essential to this
center because this is what will exercise their written literacy and symbolism. Another way to
possibly extend this center is to have a field trip to the post office, or have a postal service
employee come in and talk about mail what it takes to get it to your home.

Depending on the classroom size and space, you can choose to set up some mail boxes
around the classroom for each child that the mail carrier can deliver mail to. There is also the
possibility of setting up a kiosk similar to what is in the post office where students can line up
and get their mail posted, complete with phones, cash registers, and even computers.
This activity will be introduced through reading a book about the mail or mail carriers.
We will talk about what comes in the mail box, where it comes from, and how it gets to our
homes. We can discuss what we will use for our individual mailboxes and what sorts of mail we
would like to receive. Once all the materials have been presented and modeled, the students will
be free to explore. My role will then become observer, listening to the conversations they are
having and what connections they are making with the world around them. If some students need
help writing, or are unsure as to how to use certain materials like stamps, I will be close by to
demonstrate. Each material will have its place and the children will be held responsible for
returning them to order. Just like in the post office where things are very organized so mail does
not get lost.
This would be a strong engagement to have in the classroom. There is so much to be
learned from the interaction with cards, letters, stamps, and even envelope labels. A students
literacy practices are challenged because now they are the ones writing the letters or reading
them aloud. They are also able to process different information through discussing it with their
peers and taking on the roles from the Post Office. It is also a great way for teachers to listen and
understand what the students know about the post office, what questions they might have, and
what else they need to know more about.

Section C: Family and Community Literacy Event

I conducted my community literacy event in the library close to my placement school. A
location my case study child and her family visit frequently to borrow books, browse, and attend
read-aloud sessions. I brought my two Kidwatching activities to conduct with my case study
child to this visit. The first activity is called: Book Handling and Print Concepts. I chose this
activity because I wanted to assess what my case study child knew and what she could vocalize
about her print awareness.
The first task the activity entailed was to choose a storybook, my case study child picked
up Good Night Moon, a popular childrens book that I have seen her read both in school and at
home. The questions outlined in this transcription are taken from the Kidwatching worksheet.
Me: Have you seen or read this book before?
Case Study Child: No.
Me: What do you think this book is about?
Case Study Child: I dont know.
The worksheet then lists different tasks for the child to complete. The first task was to identify
the front, the back, and the title of the book. My case study child successfully identified the front
and back but was lost when it came to the title. I was surprised especially because I know that
my case study child is exposed to countless opportunities to read and be read to. Maybe the
vocabulary of title and how that relates to a book was never discussed or addressed. I asked her
to then open the book to where the story begins. At first she says No but then she proceeds to
turn the pages to the first page of the story. Once on the first page the worksheet asks that she use
her finger to show me how to read. My case study child used her index finger to first point at the
pictures, then to the words, and swept from left to right. This indicates that she does have

background knowledge of how you read and what you use to understand the words you are
reading. When I asked her to read the book, she stared at me blankly for about five seconds and
eventually shook her head saying I just want you to. We proceeded to read the book as the
worksheet instructed. While reading I asked more probing questions like point to a capital or
lower case letter and she did not respond. Although when asked to point to one word, she was
able to pick out a word that was not a or I, she also pointed to two words using two fingers.
The words she picked were on opposite ends of the page but she only used one finger to touch
each word. When asked to point to the first and last word on a page, she was successful. The
book was short and only had a few words on each page but she identified which one you read
first and which one was read last. My case study child was not willing to track the lines as I read,
which was one of the assessments on this worksheet. She also refused to try to read words
independently or with my assistance. The final assessments are about comprehension. When
asked to identify something she liked about the story she responded with I dont know. I
probed further and asked about the pictures or the different objects they referred to she just
smiled and nodded her head. My final question was Did you like the book? and my case study
child simply said yes, when questioned why? she responded with I dont know.
I think this activity was not a very accurate representation of my case study childs
language and literacy knowledge. I think she was distracted or maybe even tired from the school
day and was uninterested in participating in the activity with me. She sat through all of it and
completed most of the activities with precision. Unfortunately, I was unable to get her to express
her opinion or identify something that particularly stood out to her. Had we done this in the
classroom where she was more comfortable or even in her own home, I might have been able to
get more detailed answers and showcased her literacy knowledge even more.

The next activity I did was Book Handling Knowledge. I wanted to expand more on the
first activity in a more comprehensive assessment of my case studys knowledge of books and
the appropriate ways to use them. This worksheet included possible responses, which I was
excited about because I had a base line to see if my case study child really comprehended the
question or requirement. I had pulled Make Way For Ducklings from the library shelf while
my case study child took a break and had a snack with her sister before continuing the activity
with me. Once she was satisfied, she came to sit on my lap and we started the worksheet. Each
action/question mentioned in the transcription is taken from the worksheet.
Me: What is this?
Case Study Child: A book.
Her tone was quick and confident. She also looked at me like I was asking her such a
silly question.
Me: What do you do with it?
Case Study Child: Read it.
Me: Whats inside?
Case Study Child: um, pages. And pictures.
My case study child is able to recognize that the books she read have pages and pictures
inside of them. This vocabulary has been incorporated in her home reading and the read aloud
sessions we have during the school day. When asked to identify a page, my case study child flips
through the book and finds a page she likes and points to it. She can identify the top and the
bottom of the page with no issue or hesitation. When I placed the book upside down and with the
back to my case study child, I asked her to show me the front of the book. She flipped the book
and even opened it to the first page without prompting. This surprised me because I did not yet

instruct her to turn to the first page. I think she was just excited about reading the book. When
asked to show the beginning of the story, my case study child pointed to the first word on the
first page, when asked to identify the end, she just closed the book and pointed to the back cover.
I found this interesting especially since in the previous activity she was able to identify the first
and last words. I wonder what the thought process was that made her conclude that the end of the
story is the back cover. Especially since in our read aloud sessions we make it a point to say The
End when we get to the last page which is usually blank.
We returned to the beginning of the story I instructed her to point with her finger where I
should start reading. She pointed to the first word on the second page. There were no
obstructions to her view of the first page but I suspect it was because she was closer to the words
on the second page and was not necessarily scanning the whole book. I then ask her to show me
which way well go as I read. My case study child starts on the left and sweeps in random
directions but always returns to the left side. When asked to read the book, she just shakes her
head. When asked to pretend read it, her face lights up and she says The ducks are flying high
which she gathered from the picture on the two pages. When I said I was going to read the story,
she beamed. I did ask her to point to where I should start reading and again, she pointed to the
text on the second page. I told her to point as I read the words but she refused. She just shook her
head and stared at me. I read the book anyway, with each page turned, I tried to get her to point
as I read, and unfortunately this never happened. She did however star pointing to the first words
on each page. The last instruction was to turn the page upside down and ask if it can be read. My
case study child laughed and she said, No silly, turn it over! and she flips the book over for me.
These activities were both essential to learning about my case study childs literacy
practice and knowledge. At home, she is exposed to a variety of literacies and print that she can

draw connections from, when our in the community the print that surrounds her is recognizable
and builds on what she knows already. The school home connection is especially strong because
the school really puts emphasis on building a community with the parents and even the
neighborhood. My cultural pluralism course was instrumental in making me aware of my childs
home environment by sending me on my first few home engagements that were then continued
by this course. After visiting the childs home and interacting with her in her home environment,
I was able to incorporate some of her funds of knowledge into our classroom and make the
transitions easier. The home engagements also opened up a line of communication that may not
have been there before, now the family is open about their difficulties or challenges both
concerning school or not.
Parent- Teacher conferences are coming up and according to Beverly Otto this is a way of
building a stronger home-school connection. Although my placement school uses conferences to
celebrate what a child can do, there are opportunities to give suggestions on activities that can be
done at home that will build on the childs current strengths. Ottos book also provides multiple
examples of suggestions that can be given to parents to extend their childs learning of language
and literacy.
As an educator, I understand the importance of a home-school connection and how
valuable it is to a childs learning. By conducting these activities in a place where my case study
child frequently visits, I was able to demonstrate that learning does not have to take place at
school. Not only will my case study child want to read more books but she will also have the
seeds to understand that wherever she is, there can be something learned. It is also a great way to
practice using the resources I have available to me that are free and accessible.

Ochoa Community Literacy Event

As part of our coursework in this class, we had to create a literacy event for the Pace
program at Ochoa. We created a paint activity that explored different textures, materials, and
techniques. Our goal was to expand the childs vocabulary and tap into their creativity. We had
feathers, toothbrushes, yarn, and paintbrushes to work with. The children were excited and tried
out multiple materials in the different paint. I had one little girl tell me all the colors she was
using in both Spanish and English. She even tried to use the different materials to start mixing
the paint on her paper. This became almost a game of what color will it be?. She made a guess
before mixing every time and each time she was right, she would give me a high-five.
Eventually, she explored the paint on her hands and how that felt. I gave her vocabulary words to
use like slick and slimy to describe the paint sensation. There was a lot of joy and learning
that surrounded this activity. I learned more Spanish vocabulary and I hope she learned some
new English vocabulary as well.
This engagement shows me that language and literacy learning need not be dull and
boring. Language and literacy is learned through experiences and meaningful interactions. As an
educator, I will use this engagement to inform my future language and literacy experiences.
Language subtleties are best learned from experience rather than worksheets. I will strive to
incorporate conversations and class discussions into my classroom to build vocabulary, turn
taking, and active listening. The Otto book also suggests exploratory learning; activities that are
child-led and open yet still accomplish some language goals. Provided that I follow the
guidelines set and center these experiences on my students interests, I am confident that I can
provide an environment that is literacy rich and supports all aspects of language development.

Works Cited
Otto, Beverly. Language Development in Early Childhood. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill/Prentice Hall, 2002. Print.
Owocki, Gretchen, and Yetta M. Goodman. Kidwatching: Documenting Children's Literacy
Development. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2002. Print.