ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early

Literacy Development in Family Child

Care Settings. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Development Team

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Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care Settings.

ERIC Digest................................................................... 1

DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILY CHILD CARE.. 2

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EARLY LITERACY LEARNING AND

DEVELOPMENT:......................................................... 3

REFERENCES.................................................................. 5

ERIC Identifier: ED477606

Publication Date: 2003-11-12

Author: Lu, Mei-Yu

Source: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading English and Communication Bloomington IN.

Supporting Early Literacy Development in

Family Child Care Settings. ERIC Digest.

THIS DIGEST WAS CREATED BY ERIC, THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES

INFORMATION CENTER. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ERIC, CONTACT

ACCESS ERIC 1-800-LET-ERIC

The purpose of this Digest is to provide information for family child care providers

regarding children's early literacy development. A definition and the characteristics of

family child care are discussed in the first part of this Digest, while the second half

ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care

Settings. ERIC Digest.

Page 1 of 7
focuses on research-based strategies and recommendations that help support early

literacy development for children enrolled in family child care settings.

With growing numbers of mothers entering the work force, the need for out-of-home

child care has increased dramatically in the last two decades (O'Neill & O'Connell,

2001). A recent survey by Capizzano, Adams, & Sonenstein (2000) reveals that

approximately 3/4 of American children under age 5 with employed mothers are cared

for by someone other than their parents during the day; and among these children, 1/5

were enrolled in family child care. Although family child care is one of the most

commonly used out-of-home child care arrangements, little research is available

regarding children's early literacy learning and development in such settings (Cress,

2000). As the acquisition of written language skills is critical to children's later academic

success, it is important to explore how family child care providers can develop sound

literacy programs as well as create literacy-rich environments that support children's

early literacy development.

DEFINITION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF

FAMILY CHILD CARE

Family child care, also called "day care home," is a type of out-of-home child care in

which one or more people care for a group of unrelated children (usually fewer than 12)

on a regular basis at the care provider's own home (Morgan, Azer, & LeMoine, 2001;

NCJW Center for the Child, 2003). A day care home shares many features with a child

care center, but also possesses several distinctive characteristics that make it an

appealing alternative to some families. These include:

(1) Intimacy: In a day care home, there is only a single or fewer caregivers than is

typical of a center-based child care facility. When children stay in a home for several

years, they usually develop close relationships with their caregiver (Modigliani, 1994).

Also, because of the small number (usually fewer than 12) of children in a family child

care setting, these children, their families, and child care providers tend to know each

other personally. These families often form a relationship similar to that in an extended

family (Modigliani, 1994).

(2) Flexibility: Because of the intimate relationship between the family child care

provider and the children and their families, a day care home is also more likely to cater

to the special needs of individual children (Modigliani, 1994; NCJW Center for the Child,

2003), as well as to offer flexible hours for parents who do not have fixed working

schedules (Eaton, 1997; NCJW Center for the Child, 2003). In addition, family child care

providers typically care for children at a variety of age and developmental levels

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Page 2 of 7 ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care

Settings. ERIC Digest.
(Morgan, Azer, & LeMoine, 2001; Trawick-Smith & Lambert, 1995). It is therefore

possible for all siblings from a single family to be enrolled in the same home (Eaton,

1997; Modigliani, 1994; Morgan, Azer, & LeMoine, 2001; NCJW Center for the Child,

2003).

(3) Familiarity and proximity: Family child care offers children a home-like and familiar

environment, for the children are being cared for in the child care provider's own home

(Modigliani, 1994; NCJW Center for the Child, 2003). In most cases, the day care home

will be close to the parents' home and/or place of work (NCJW Center for the Child,

2003).

BASIC PRINCIPLES OF EARLY LITERACY

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT:

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERSBecause of its unique

characteristics, an early literacy program in a day care home may appear strikingly

different than a center-based child care facility. However, the same fundamental

principles should be observed in both settings. The following recommendations for

developing a quality early literacy program are made based on the principles of

social-constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978; Moll, 1990) and scholarship from the field of

early literacy (Clay, 1991; Harste, Woodward, & Burke, 1984; Neuman, Copple, &

Bredekamp, 2000; Wells, 1986; Strickland & Morrow, 1989; Taylor, 1993), with special

attention paid to the distinctive features of the day care home.

1. Children acquire the forms and function of literacy through interacting with more

capable peers and adults. The multiple age and developmental levels of children

enrolled in a day care home pose a challenge as well as provide an opportunity for the

child care provider to design activities to promote the literacy learning and development

of both younger and older children. Trawick-Smith and Lambert (1995) suggest that

both old and young children benefit from shared book reading experience. The shared

book experience can take two forms: older children reading aloud to the younger ones,

or the child care providers reading a book to a group of older and younger children. The

older children are able to practice their reading skills and acquire new knowledge, while

the younger children have opportunities to learn from the adults and older children the

conventions of reading, such as book handling and the directionality of written text.

Crawford and Hade (2000) also suggest that wordless picture books can be valuable

reading materials, for younger and older children are both able to respond as well as

interpret such books in their own ways.

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care

Settings. ERIC Digest.

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2. Children learn best from meaningful and functional activities. One strength of a day

care home lies in the caregiver's ability to provide activities that children normally see

and/or do around their house, which are less common in a typical child care center

(Trawick-Smith & Lambert, 1995). Simple cooking activities such as making salad or

baking cookies, involve reading, writing, math, and eye-hand coordination skills, are

enjoyed by younger and older children alike. In addition, field trips such as visiting zoos,

parks, and public libraries also provide children of different ages with opportunities to be

engaged in literacy activities that meet their interests and needs. While planning for

trips, the children and child care provider can read books about the place they will be

visiting (e.g., the zoo). While on the road, the child care provider and/or volunteering

parents can point out interesting signs, objects, and sights for children to watch and

discuss. If the field trip involves visiting a public services facility, such as a post office,

then the children can write/draw thank-you cards for the person(s) providing assistance.

Through such functional and meaningful activities, children understand that the purpose

of literacy is to communicate with others and achieve various goals in their life

(Strickland & Morrow, 1989).

3. Children learn to be literate in a literacy-rich environment, where diverse, real-life

materials and activities meet children's different needs and interests. Children learn to

be literate by observing activities in their environment, interacting with the people

around them, and using literacy tools for functional and meaningful activities (Neuman,

Copple, & Bredekamp, 2000). Because of the different ages and developmental levels

of the children in a day care home, the literacy materials should meet diverse needs of

children. Literacy tools, such as writing materials of various kinds (crayons, pencils,

pens, markers, paper of different colors, sizes, and textures) as well as toys, tapes,

CD-ROMs, literacy props (phone books, play money, and restaurant menus) and books

should be carefully selected to reflect individual children's learning and developmental

needs. Even very young children enjoy holding crayons and making marks on writing

surfaces. Materials for toddlers and young preschoolers (e.g., chubby crayons and

paper) should be available to these children and used with adult supervision. Materials

for the older children, such as scissors and staplers, need to be carefully stored and

used in designated area(s).

4. Providers should use public facilities and collaborate with local higher education

institutes.

Although family child care providers share their home with the children they care for,

they are not limited by the resources of their own household. Public resources and

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Page 4 of 7 ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care

Settings. ERIC Digest.
facilities, such as the public library, also provide opportunities for children to develop

their literacy skills (Bates & Bates, 1999). Children can attend storytelling sessions,

check out books, and attend various literacy events at the libraries. In addition, child

care providers in most areas can acquire inexpensive literacy materials from such

sources as library book fairs, yard and garage sales, bookstores' discount sections,

used or second-hand bookstores, recycling centers, and charity sales [e.g., Salvation

Army and Goodwill] (Stroup, 2001).

The collaboration between day care homes and local higher education institutions

provide additional opportunities for children to interact with literate adults and develop

reading and writing skills. For example, Lamme and Russo (2002) described "Project

Booktalk", in which college students visit child care homes weekly over a semester and

read books to children enrolled in day care homes. This project was well received by all

parties involved, especially the children, who benefited from the opportunity to bond with

adults of varying literacy experiences and cultures.

REFERENCES

Bates, C., & Bates, R. (1999). Mother and daughter set out to promote literacy in a

family child care home and a child care center. Young Children, 54(1), 12-15. [EJ 584

423]

Capizzano, J., Adams, G., & Sonenstein, F. L. (2000). Child care arrangements for

children under five: Variation across states. Washington, DC: Urban Institute. [ED 439

212]

Clay, M. (1991). Becoming literate: The construction of inner control. Portsmouth, NH:

Heinemann.

Crawford, P. A. & Hade, D. D. (2000). Inside the Picture, outside the frame: Semiotics

and the reading of wordless picture books. Journal of Research in Childhood Education,

15(1), 66-80. [EJ 623 711]

Cress, S. W. (2000). A focus on literacy in home day care. Australian Journal of Early

Childhood, 25(3), 6-12.

Eaton, D. (1997). Practitioner's perspective: "Adding two school age children (A family

child care professional's response)." Early Childhood Quarterly, 12(3), 343-345.

Harste, J., Woodward, V., & Burke, C. (1984). Language stories and literacy lessons.

Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books, Inc. [ED 257 113]

Lamme, L. L. & Russo, R. (2002). Project Booktalk: Library outreach to family daycare

homes. Journal of Youth Services in Libraries, 15(3), 36-40. [EJ 652 488]

ERIC Resource Center www.eric.ed.gov

ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care

Settings. ERIC Digest.

Page 5 of 7
Modigliani, K. (1994). Promoting high-quality child care: A policy perspective for quality

2000. Boston, MA: Wheelock College. [ED 412 023]

Moll, L. C. (1990). Vygotsky and Education : Instructional Implications and Applications

of Sociohistorical Psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Morgan, G., Azer, S., LeMoine, S. (2001). Family child care: What's in a name? Boston,

MA: Wheelock College.

NCJW Center for the Child. (n.d.). Facts about family child care: What is family child

care? Retrieved October 13, 2003, from http://www.4c-cinci.org/FCC/fccfacts.html.

Neuman, S. B., Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2000). Learning to read and write:

Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Washington, DC: National

Association for the Education of Young Children. [ED 463 904]

O'Neill, G. & O'Connell, M. (2001). State estimates of child care establishments:

1977-1997 (Working Paper Series No. 55). Washington, DC: Population Division, US

Bureau of the Census.

Strickland, D. S. & Morrow, L. M. (Eds.). (1989). Emerging literacy: Young children learn

to read and write. Newark, DE: International Reading Association. [ED 305 602]

Stroup, S. (2001). Parent support of early literacy development. Bloomington, IN: ERIC

Clearinghouse on Reading, English, and Communication. [ED 457 521]

Taylor, D. (1993). From the child's point of view. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Trawick-Smith, J. & Lambert, L. (1995). The unique challenges of the family child care

provider: Implications for professional development. Young children, 50(3), 25-32. [EJ

500 034]

Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological

processes (M. Cole, V. John-Steiner, S. Scribner & E. Souberman, Eds. and Trans.).

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Wells, G. (1986). The Meaning Makers: Children learning language and using language

to learn. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. [ED 264 572]

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Digest #187 is EDO-CS-03-02, published December 2003 by the ERIC Clearinghouse

on Reading, English and Communication, 2805 E 10th St. #140, Bloomington, IN

47408-2698, Tel. (800) 759-4723. Full text at: http://eric.indiana.edu. ERIC Digests are

in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.

www.eric.ed.gov ERIC Custom Transformations Team

Page 6 of 7 ED477606 2003-11-12 Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care

Settings. ERIC Digest.
This project is funded at least in part with Federal funds from the US Dept. of Education

(contract #ED-99-CO-0028). The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect

the views or policies of the US Dept. of Education nor does mention of trade names,

commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the US Government.

Title: Supporting Early Literacy Development in Family Child Care Settings. ERIC

Digest.

Note: ERIC/REC Digest number 181.

Document Type: Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs)

(071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073);

Available From: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English and Communication, 2805

E. 10th St. #140, Bloomington, IN 47408-2698. Web site: http://eric.indiana.edu; Tel:

800-759-4723 (Toll Free).

Descriptors: Beginning Reading, Beginning Writing, Early Childhood Education,

Educational Environment, Emergent Literacy, Family Child Care, Literature Reviews

Identifiers: ERIC Digests

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