Required Resources 

Required Text
 

1. Making meaning, making sense: Children’s early language learning
    
   1. Chapter 7 – Learning to Use Language
       
      • This chapter explains how children use the system of language as a whole in the social aspects of their lives.
   2. Chapter 8 – Bumps in the Road: Communication Disorders
       
      • This chapter introduces some of the common communication disorders that can be seen in the early childhood education classroom and briefly outlines what educators can do.

Template 

1. Zaur, J., & Bodamer, K. (2014).  Lesson Plan Template (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. Ashford University, College of Education, San Diego, CA.

Recommended Resources 

Handbook
 

1. Zaur, J., & Bodamer, K., (2015). Early childhood and child development: Lesson plan handbook [Electronic version]. Retrieved from https://content.ashford.edu/ 

• This supplement is a Constellation™ course digital materials (CDM) title.

Website
 

1. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  (2013).  Speech and language disorders and diseases (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..  Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/public/speech/disorders/

WEEK 4 Discussion 1

      Communication Disorders Team Activity      

There are many specific communication disorders explained in Chapter 8, all of which fall under either Speech Disorder or Language Disorder.  

Choose one of the many communication disorders from the chapter and explain the main components of this disorder under the correct broad heading: Speech Disorder or Language Disorder.  Prepare a fact sheet that includes the following:

• Disorder name and summary of the main characteristics
• Explanation of what children go through
• Strategies to help support children in the classroom
• Idea or best practice for supporting families,
• Include a resource that you could share with families that explains more about the disorder.  

Your original response should be a minimum of 300 words and include support from the textbook and one outside source that you could share with families.  Be sure to include a reference at the end of your fact sheet in APA format.     

WEEK 4 Discussion 2

    Language Interactions Experience Discussion      

Plan to spend about 30 minutes to an hour in a preschool setting.  A good time to observe would be during circle time, independent learning time, or during free choice time.  If this is not an option, please view the video, Five Basic Functions of Language (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., found in Chapter 7 of your text.

Describe the interactions and the language experiences that are taking place in the social setting.  Refer to Chapter 7 for various examples of ways this can be seen in the classroom.  Record your observations in a professional manner, maintaining the confidentiality of the site and the teachers’ and students’ real names.  Use your observations to write an analysis of the language experiences that were observed.  

In your discussion post, be sure to include your actual observation notes as well as a 150- to 250-word analysis that is supported by reference(s) to the textbook.

For your analysis, discuss:

1. What experiences support language acquisition?  
2. What experiences/interactions need refinement?

You will rely on the information you have gained thus far, as well as your insights, to evaluate the above questions.  Be sure to format all in-text citations and reference(s) in APA style.