Deck 10: Language, Emergent Literacy, and Play

Question 1

The initiator of the behaviourist theory was:

A) B. F. Skinner
B) Noam Chomksy
C) Lev Vygotsky
D) Howard Gardner

Answer 1

B. F. Skinner

Question 2

The theory of operant conditioning is based on the premise that:

A) Reinforced behaviours will tend to continue, while those that are punished or not reinforced gradually end
B) All children have an innate ability to acquire language
C) Language acquisition takes place in a social context
D) Children will learn language when operating initially on the intrapersonal plane

Answer 2

Reinforced behaviours will tend to continue, while those that are punished or not reinforced gradually end

Question 3

Children paying attention to new and exciting environmental stimuli to naturally acquire knowledge refers to:

A) Curiosity-driven knowledge acquisition
B) Novelty preference
C) Early leaning cognitive processing
D) Discovery-based development

Answer 3

Novelty preference

Question 4

Generally, there are two approaches to reading that reflect different philosophies and stress different skills known as:

A) Diction and Dictation
B) Phonics and Whole Language
C) Expressive and Receptive Language
D) Oral and Written Language

Question 5

Expressive language is also referred to as:

A) Productive language
B) Receptive language
C) Emergent language
D) Oral language

Question 6

Inner speech is described as:

A) Our most intimate thoughts that are left unsaid
B) Children's ability to talk to themselves while playing
C) The expression of literate behaviours
D) The silent speech that becomes part of our thought processes

Question 7

When children speak in longer sentences they begin to demonstrate that they know grammatical rules such as plurals, possession, and tense in nouns and verbs. These are considered the rules of:

A) Morphology
B) Vocabulary
C) Pragmatics
D) Whole Language

Question 8

According to Feeney, Moravcik, and Nolte (2013)'s adapted Stages of Language Development, a child who is in the Holophrases stage will be:

A) Using two words to express ideas that relate
B) Engaging in pseudo-language and babble to mimic the language that they hear
C) Making and responding to sounds
D) Using words that stand in for a variety of meaningful sentences

Question 9

According to the Stages of Language development (Feeney, Moravcik, and Nolte, 2013), the Telegraphic sentences stage occurs:

A) By 24 months
B) Between 18 and 24 months
C) After 24 months
D) From age 3 to 4

Question 10

According to Weitzman and Greenberg (2002), the four conversational styles for young children are:

A) Sociable, reluctant, own agenda, passive
B) Friendly, obtuse, selfish, involved
C) Greeters, requesters, problem solvers, thinkers
D) Sociable, unsociable, passive, impassive

Question 11

"What colour is it?" is an example of:

A) A testing question
B) An open ended question
C) A conceptual question
D) A social question

Question 12

The Hanen OWL Strategy refers to:

A) Observation, witnessing, learning
B) Opportunities for whole language
C) Observing, waiting, and listening
D) Opportunities with language

Question 13

During the Stages of Literacy development, "graphemes" refer to:

A) Letters that represent a sound during the pre-reading stage
B) Babbling during the pre-reading stage
C) The letter-sound correspondence rule during the decoding stage
D) Understanding words by their graphic representations during the construction/reconstruction stage

Question 14

An early learning teacher can infer that when a toddler holds out an empty cup and says "dah" that the reason for this communication is to:

A) Protest about something
B) Share ideas
C) Ask a question
D) Make a request

Question 15

McVicker (2007) identified three modes of reader response for preschoolers. They are:

A) Observing, waiting, and listening
B) Interest, understanding, and symbolism
C) Imitation, imagination, and interaction
D) Representation, construction, and written response

Question 16

According to McVicker (2007), when a school-age child responds to a book being read by an early learning teacher by laughing, chanting, and moving closer to the book, he would be demonstrating:

A) Listening behaviour
B) Interactive behaviour
C) Responsive behaviour
D) Active behaviour

Question 17

An early learning teacher expectations for children to attempt reading and writing would best be supported if they are provided with:

A) Language worksheets
B) Reading and writing tools in the dramatic play centre
C) Alphabetic flashcards
D) A phonics program

Question 18

Stradler and Ward (2005) identified that children go through five levels in the development of narratives. They are:

A) Labeling, listing, connecting, sequencing, narrating
B) Listening, connecting, sharing, responding, writing
C) Imitating, imagining, interacting, interest, involvement
D) Symbolism, fantasy, motivating, exploring, discovery

Question 19

Which is a critical content area for early literacy?

A) Writing Awareness
B) Reading Awareness
C) Phonological Awareness
D) Critical Literacy Awareness

Question 20

Children first explore writing by:

A) Printing their name
B) Drawing and scribbling
C) Colouring in pictures
D) Building with blocks

Question 21

According to Weitzman and Greenberg's (2002) teacher roles, which of the following is a role that will limit children's conversations?

A) The responsive partner role
B) The director role
C) The script keeper role
D) The performer role

Question 22

Decontextualized language is language described as:

A) Found in other contexts
B) Connected to daily activities
C) In the here-and-now
D) Removed from the here-and-now

Question 23

One of the most successful strategies to promote emergent literacy skills amongst preschool children is:

A) Show-and-tell activities
B) Reading books to children
C) Practising penmanship
D) Worksheets

Question 24

Closed questions are characterized by which of the following:

A) Have more than one right answer
B) Ask for reasoning
C) Tend to have right or wrong answers
D) Have more than one correct answer

Question 25

Creating a community culture that supports language of literacy refers to the:

A) Different languages spoken at home by the children
B) Different ethnic backgrounds of the children
C) Predominate culture in the program
D) Literacy-rich environment

Question 26

An appropriate book to read to preschool children would have which of the following characteristics?

A) Not too long, bright illustrations, and free from stereotypes
B) Content that is beyond their developmental level
C) Has characters that depict stereotypical roles
D) There are mostly words and not pictures

Question 27

A reading centre is most effectively placed:

A) In a nonvisible and separate area from the rest of the room for unobtrusive reading
B) In a section of the room that is highly visible and accessible for integration with other activities
C) In an area that is accessible, but partitioned from the rest of the room for quiet exploration
D) Beside the math and science centre because they are quiet activities

Question 28

According to Dietze (2006), scaffolding is a fundamental principle of nature where one concept is built upon a previous learning structure.

Question 29

Early learning teachers approach language and literacy development experiences by considering children's interests, capabilities, test scores, and milestones.

Question 30

Receptive language development is the ability to listen and understand the spoken, signed, or written word.

Question 31

Literate behaviours are precursors to more specific literacy skills.

Question 32

Morphology refers to a set of grammatical rules that include word order and the use of inflections.

Question 33

By age six, children will become adept at pragmatic uses of language. This means that they can choose words, modify sentences, or change voice inflections to fit the listener.

Question 34

For early learning teachers, sometimes just pausing (waiting) before speaking will cause the child to lose interest in conversation.

Question 35

Metacommunication is when children communicate about how an interaction will take place.

Question 36

According to Marie Clay, the more exposure younger children have to books and print, the more likely they will need intervention strategies to improve reading.

Question 37

Skebo and colleagues (2013) suggest that there are six stages of literacy development over our lifespan.

Question 38

The alphabetic principle describes when children understand that letters represent sounds that inform words.

Question 39

When children are exposed to fantasy in books, they are engaging in contextualized language experiences.

Question 40

Print motivation is the frequency of requests for shared reading and engagement in print-related activities, such as pretend writing.

Question 41

The research suggests that gender is not a variable in children's language development.

Question 42

Early learning teachers should always avoid posing close-ended questions in an early learning environment.

Question 43

"Circle time" is the most effective time to read to children.

Question 44

Draw the connections between play and how children learn language and literacy skills.

Question 45

Why do you think it is important for early learning teachers and children to celebrate children's cultural backgrounds and various languages?

Question 46

How might an early learning teacher support children who are learning English as a second language.

Question 47

Describe a long-term unit to support preschool children's language and literacy development that fits with a holistic approach rather than one focused on phonics or whole language.

Question 48

Describe ways in which family literacy can be supported in an early learning environment.

Question 49

Describe how a dramatic play centre and an art centre can improve literacy in a literacy-rich environment. What strategies and tools could early learning teachers use to increase literacy development in these centres?