Literature for Early Childhood (Birth to Four) – Study Notes

Overview and purpose

Focus: literature for early childhood (birth to age four, preschool) with emphasis on pedagogy and practical classroom application rather than theory alone.
Core aim (per the Early Learning Framework): cultivate a sense of belonging, being, and becoming through shared books with young children.
Role of educators: birth to preschool, adults select books; children may not yet express preferences; educators should observe, listen, and learn from children while guiding them in how reading works.
Guiding question: What do babies and preschoolers need from literature, and what do they actually get from it?
Week five scope: introduce craft of storytelling, concepts of print, types of books for childcare/kindergarten, and a brief definition of literature; provocations for deeper, creative practice.
Connections to longitudinal studies and real-world literacy impact will be discussed through research findings and practical implications.

Core research findings and evidence discussed

Millennium Cohort Study (British): involves 14{,}000 children tracked to age 11; started at the turn of the millennium.
Comparable Australian study: about 10{,}000 children born in 2002/2003; ongoing follow-up.
Key result: children whose parents read to them every day at age 3 are more likely to flourish in the first year of primary school; benefits include roughly ext{two months} ahead in language and literacy and in mathematics.
Home learning environment vs socioeconomic status: home environment shows greater predictive power for literacy outcomes than SES, parental occupation, or income alone.
Mem Fox and Reading Magic claim: about 75 ext{ extperthousand} of brain development in newborns is linked to being fed, cuddled, played with, talked to, sung to, and read to (despite other early tech distractions like tablets).
Bonding with the first reader: Mem Fox describes the relationship between child and first reader as a form of bonding with a "secret society".
Animals and nature in children’s literature: animals are frequently used as stand-ins for children or as friends; recurring motif worth noting.
Reading aloud as foundational practice: supports speaking, receptive and expressive language; use of rhymes, games, songs, and jokes enhances joyful early literacy experiences; benefits persist beyond early childhood (even in college contexts).
Acknowledgment of diverse home experiences: not all children have ideal literacy experiences at home; educators must craft secure, intimate, joyful classroom experiences.

Foundations of reading: what books help develop

Reading is central to learning to read; joyful, interesting early literature helps prevent aversion to reading.
Phases of literacy development (Aries framework): pre-alphabetic, early alphabetic, later alphabetic, consolidated alphabetic phases.
Core concept: literacy “floats on a sea of talk” — the more we talk with young children about books, the better prepared they are for formal literacy later.
Vocabulary and conceptual knowledge: through books, children acquire vocabulary and concepts, learn about print concepts, and build world knowledge.
Phonological awareness: awareness of sounds and their connections to words and meaning.
Alphabetic principle: understanding that sounds map to graphemes/letters; essential as reading progresses.
Reading aloud fosters all these skills and should be a deliberate practice in early childhood settings.

Concepts of print: what children should understand about books

Core idea: print conveys messages; understanding how print works.
Directionality: English/LATIN script reads from left to right and top to bottom.
Book orientation: opening a book from the front, reading from the front to the back.
Distinction between sentences and words; letters vs. words.
Purpose: a practical checklist for ages roughly 3-4 to gauge familiarity with how books function; early learning centers and homes can seed this knowledge well before formal schooling.

Beyond books: other ways literature, play, and environment intersect

Dress-ups and theme days: link to equitable and inclusive pedagogy.
Sociodramatic play: structured or free play where children enact stories (e.g., Elsa, Bluey) to extend understanding of narratives.
Art and craft responses: building cubbies, drawing, Play-Doh, and related activities to express story understanding.
Book corners and home libraries: safe, joyful spaces with rich opportunities to choose and take books home.

Defining literature for children

Literature definition (Saxby, 1997):

Literature entertains; it allows the recreation of thoughts, sensations, dreams, feelings, fears, aspirations. It causes awe and wonder. It can bring joy. It can set up reverberations that are echoes of far off, distant insights from times past. It can propel the reader into a more secure future, and self-awareness and understanding is nourished and grows. Literature is life, eliminated and sweetened by the artist.
Implication: literature can be fiction or informational; quality children’s literature engages the whole person, has aesthetic quality, and invites readers to interpret stories and ideas in diverse ways.
Practical selection criteria: look for books that invite entry into multiple worlds and support varied interpretations.

Age-appropriate book selection: newborns to preschoolers

Newborns: simple, high-contrast visuals; black-and-white designs; large pictures; sturdy books that stand up.
4–6 months: cloth and vinyl books (babies chew; pages are not yet turned).
7–9 months: board books; reading can involve labeling pictures and pointing to items.
12–18 months: toddlers enjoy pictures of familiar characters, objects, other children, and animals.
19–30 months: ready for complete stories; focus on familiar themes and talk opportunities.

Types of books and materials for early childhood centers

Picture books and non-fiction content; wordless books; interactive books; concept books with central themes (e.g., dentist visit, getting dressed).
Predictable books: repetitive phrases and refrains (e.g., Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?; The Green Sheep).
Reference books; big books; alphabet, counting, and word books; novelty books; paperback books; magazines.
Multicultural and cross-cultural books; seasonal/holiday books.
Board, fabric, and plastic books for babies/toddlers.
Multilingual books; example: translating familiar titles (e.g., Goodnight Moon in Spanish; The Very Hungry Caterpillar in another language) to broaden accessibility.
Other textual media: pictures, movies, iPads, and music can play roles in literacy experiences.

Provocations and further reflections on picture books

Picture books redefined: not just for non-readers; celebrated authors like Sean Tennant popularized picture books as literatures for all ages.
Sean Tennant and related works (e.g., The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, The Rabbits) illustrate how pictures can convey profound ideas succinctly; artwork can distill complex thoughts.
Quote: "Artist Einstein reminds us… most profound thoughts in the simplest way" — underscoring the power of visuals paired with sparse text.
Picture books as bridges: connect children’s imaginative life with adults’ worlds, enabling rich conversations about meaning.
Gordon Winter's view: picture books and text can resemble poetry—often concise language paired with powerful imagery that invites interpretation beyond literal text.
The Boy and the Elephant example: readers gain privileged access to the central character’s perspective through images.
Text and illustration can complement or challenge one another; pictures may reveal meanings not explicit in words (Anthony Browne’s Zoo, Piggy Book as examples).

Shared worlds, globalization, and ethical storytelling

Global society idea (Wench): globalization implies more than physical connectedness; it includes philosophical and ethical connectedness beyond ideology and politics.
Children’s literature as space for connection: classrooms and homes can nurture understanding of the world and others, while supporting personal identity and sense of self.
Indigenous storytelling: often atheological (beginning-focused) and embedded in the land, dreaming, and origins (e.g., how birds got colors, why the moon is in the sky).
Indigenous publishing and authenticity: growing number of texts not only about Indigenous cultures but created by Indigenous people themselves; Mugabala Books as an example of an Indigenous publishing house.
Commonwealth Childhood Research Collective: emphasizes common worlds—an inclusive, more-than-human perspective that links children with other species, nonliving entities, technologies, discourses, and landforms.
Practical implication: consider how children relate to humans, animals, and the material world; move toward literacy practices that honor co-existence with non-human others.

Indigenous and common-world resources and reflections

Indigenous stories often center origins and the beginnings of things; storytelling engages with place and relationships across species.
Link to resources: Commonwealth Childhood Research Collective and Mugabala Books for authentic Indigenous perspectives and publishing.

Final example and invitation to explore further

Suggested viewing: Our Country by Ezekiel Kuala Malena (an Indigenous storyteller/artist who narrates a young girl’s sense of place and equitable relationship with other species).
Encouragement to explore the linked slides and related resources in your TURD (Course Portal) for recent findings and further provocations.
Closing invitation: consider how to apply these theories and provocations to your own teaching practice this week.

Practical takeaways and potential exam-style prompts

Explain how the home learning environment compares to socioeconomic status in predicting literacy outcomes in early childhood, citing the reported findings.
Describe the concept of "literacy floating on a sea of talk" and how you would implement it in a preschool setting.
List and explain the developmental milestones for book interaction from birth to 30 months, including suitable book types for each stage.
Compare and contrast the roles of text and illustration in picture books using examples like The Boy and the Elephant and Browne’s Zoo/Piggy Book.
Define literature using Saxby’s definition and discuss criteria you would use to select quality children’s literature for a diverse classroom.
Discuss the ethical and pedagogical considerations when incorporating Indigenous stories and common-world philosophies into curricula.

References and resources mentioned in the lecture

Millennium Cohort Study (British) – longitudinal study of 14{,}000 children; followed to age 11.
Australian longitudinal study – 10{,}000 children; born in 2002/2003.
Mem Fox, Reading Magic: brain development connections to early literacy and reading aloud.
Saxby, 1997: definition of literature (quoted in the lecture).
Sean Tennant: influence on picture books' role in literacy.
The Lost Thing, The Red Tree, The Rabbits (Sean Tennant’s related works).
Gordon Winter: poetry-like use of words and pictures in picture books.
Anthony Browne: Zoo, Piggy Book (text and illustration interplay).
Indigenous publishing: Mugabala Books.
Commonwealth Childhood Research Collective: notion of common worlds; inclusive, more-than-human approach.
Our Country by Ezekiel Kuala Malena (video/resource recommended for exploration).
TURD slides: link provided for further findings and provocations.
Practical classroom resources: storybooks, non-fiction content, wordless books, interactive books, concept books, predictable books, reference books, big books, alphabet/counting/word books, novelty books, magazines, multicultural materials, seasonal/holiday themes, multilingual editions.

Note: All numerical references are represented in LaTeX syntax within this note where appropriate, e.g., 14{,}000, 11, 10{,}000, 2002/2003, and 75\%, to align with the formatting guidelines requested.