Community of Research and Practice
The Talk To Your Baby Community of Research and Practice is an online network open to everyone who shares our interest in the development of young children’s speech, language, and communication. It brings together researchers and academics who are particularly interested in the development of theory, investigation and enquiry, with practitioners who are working with children and families to promote high-quality practice at home, in early years settings, and across local communities.
If you think the community might be of interest to you, then it probably is. If you’d like to participate, you need register as a user of our website and create a user profile. This is free of charge. If you already have a username and password for our site, you simply need to log in. Then you will be able to contribute to the discussion threads below.
For more information, see the *Read me* Introduction thread below.
*Read me* Intro to the Community of Research and Practice
By Cathy Hamer. Posted on 8 Jul 2011 at 09:26
*Read me*. An introduction to the Community of Research and Practice
The Talk To Your Baby (TTYB) Community of Research and Practice is free to join. It’s an online network of people who share an interest in early speech, language and communication.
It’s open to everyone and just requires an open and enquiring mind along with a genuine interest in this area. Participants should bring a desire to learn and contribute from the variety of their knowledge, skills and experience.
We aim to bring together researchers and academics with professionals delivering services and practitioners supporting children and families at home, in early years settings and across local communities.
If you think the community might be of interest to you, then it probably is. Anyone can read the discussions but if you’d like to contribute, follow these simple steps to start posting comments in a matter of minutes:
Register with our website to create a username and password or, if you have registered with us already, simply log in.
Then, go to our Community of Research and Practice and click on a discussion page (thread) that is of interest to you. At the bottom of each page is space for you to write a comment that will be added to the discussion. You may choose to be alerted by email whenever someone adds a new comment to the page.
If you would like a new thread created about a specific topic or research just post your request in the thread labelled “request a new thread”.
This online community has been created by the TTYB team, whose role is to:
- Promote collaboration across research and practice
- Stimulate new areas of thinking and discussion
- Document new ideas, emerging knowledge and learning
- Capture learning and ways forward in formulating policy, developing products and services
- Moderate content and tone if necessary
If you’ve any questions about the community please feel free to email us at talktoyourbaby@literacytrust.org.uk
3 Replies
psychologist replied on 22 Aug 2011 at 09:55
Hi, would anyone like to have a discussion about the role of ICT in developing literacy skills, especially in very young children?
Ruth AT replied on 8 Nov 2011 at 14:40
ICT for 3-5 year olds has a limited role in developing literacy skills. It can teach specifics such as prepositions, colour, shape etc but there is just NO substitute for good face to face conversation. In Early Years settings it unfortunately can be used as an activity to keep children quiet and occupied! There are just so many better ways enhance literacy skills for this age - indoors and outdoors.
The Face to Face Literacy Review, on this website, give compelling evidence for good interaction with real people not a computer screen. Any comments?
lucygiffen@hotmail.com replied on 22 Nov 2011 at 22:36
I have introduced an iPad to my setting and have only downloaded what I perceive to be educational and developmental games and apps. The 3 year old in my care has become very proficient at using it and I think has spent more time developing his fine handwriting skills on it than on paper. We continue to paint and draw, read books, talk and play imaginatively too.
There are many apps which encourage children to draw letter shapes and to distinguish upper and lowercase letters. Some apps link sounds with words and he has chosen to spend time on advanced games which encourage matching letter tiles with words. There are huge benefits to me being able to let him play a game like this as I also have an under one year old with a fascination for putting things in his mouth. Without the iPad games with small tiles would be limited because they couldn't be out at the same time.
This type of ICT cannot have failed to develop his appreciation of letters and how they create words or develop his physical ability to write letters. I agree that many people use computers to keep children quiet but an iPad is an ICT tool that doesn't have a limited role in literacy development. I have observed him today tracing a number in the same way that he does on the iPad on a car number plate. Is that better or different to tracing letter shapes on a ipad? The portability of the iPad also means it can be used anywhere and I can easily sit and read downloaded books with him or assist with understanding areas he's struggling with.
This type of ICT is complementary to the other ways of learning but is so much better than a desktop computer where the selection of programmes are often badly designed (in my opinion) and make a child sit in front of a fixed position. The baby also shows interest in using the iPad and some of the apps he is interested in allow him to make marks simply by touching the screen. I even prefer to use this type of ICT to teach him about cause and effect rather than a battery powered toy that lights up when he touches it.
An iPad has a wider appeal than a baby toy which is limited to one age group. There is always a risk of people using screens to keep children quiet whilst teaching literacy but as long as it is an additional tool I think it is highly valuable. An article in the NY times also highlights that parents who are avid e-book users still want their children to interact with real books. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/21/business/for-their-children-many-e-book-readers-insist-on-paper.html?_r=4&hp