Students will develop an in-depth understanding of the relationships between language, thought and emergent literacy in early childhood, with particular emphasis on language acquisition processes and the role of educational mediators in communicative and cognitive development. The course will provide theoretical and methodological frameworks for designing instructional activities that support the development of early symbolic meanings in children.

The program will be structured into four thematic areas, systematically addressing the processes of language acquisition, the role of educational mediators in child development, strategies for promoting emergent literacy, and the design of educational activities.

Relationship between thought and language in early childhood development
• Analysis of the stages of linguistic development in children and the evolutionary sequence characterizing language acquisition in the early years of life.
• Critical overview of major theories on language acquisition.
• Introduction to Theory of Mind.

From signs to knowledge – the role of educational mediators in child development
• Multimodal communication, highlighting how children use signs, images, gestures, and objects to construct meaning in their early communicative experiences.
• Symbolic representation and meaning-making through the creative and metaphorical use of tools present in the environment.
• Educational enhancement of symbolic and cultural mediators, understood as tools to facilitate early learning and strengthen children's communicative skills.

Fostering emergent literacy
• Theoretical foundations of early literacy, considering the role of early communicative and linguistic experiences in future reading and writing development.
• Educational strategies aimed at stimulating emergent literacy through oral, symbolic, and communicative activities suitable for the 0-6 age group.
• Analysis of international models for fostering emergent literacy (e.g., The Reading Nest) and their impact on language development.

Designing educational activities using diverse educational mediators
• Principles and strategies for designing educational experiences in early childhood, with a focus on integrating diverse educational mediators.
• Symbolic representation and the role of didactic mediators in constructing learning pathways, with references to various educational approaches.
• Critical evaluation of digital tools for early childhood, focusing on criteria for assessing interactive resources and their impact on literacy and communication.

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Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the course, students will be expected to demonstrate knowledge of the main theoretical models on language acquisition and emergent literacy; understand the role of multimodal communication and symbolic representation in meaning-making processes in early childhood; analyze the functions of educational mediators in fostering children's cognitive, communicative, and socio-relational development; and comprehend the impact of early linguistic and symbolic experiences on the later acquisition of reading and writing.

Applying Knowledge and Understanding

Students will be able to apply the acquired knowledge to design educational activities and learning pathways aimed at developing linguistic and symbolic competencies in early childhood; utilize diverse educational mediators to facilitate language acquisition and meaning-making in children; integrate educational strategies based on storytelling, shared reading, and multimodal practices to promote emergent literacy; and analyze and assess interactive resources for early childhood, considering their impact on literacy and communication.

Making Judgements

Students will develop the ability to critically reflect on language acquisition theories and their pedagogical implications; select appropriate educational strategies to support children's linguistic and symbolic development in various educational settings; and evaluate the quality of educational mediators, digital tools, and literacy resources, identifying their strengths and limitations.

Communication Skills

By the end of the course, students will be able to clearly and coherently present course content using appropriate disciplinary language; effectively engage with educators, teachers, and professionals in the field, demonstrating analytical and synthesis skills on topics related to emergent literacy; and design and present educational programs based on educational mediators and emergent literacy strategies.

Learning Skills

Students will develop autonomy in deepening their study materials and exploring new educational strategies for early childhood; the ability to critically assess the effectiveness of teaching practices related to language development and emergent literacy; and self-assessment skills useful for improving their own educational and didactic practice.

The teaching material prepared by the lecturer in addition to recommended textbooks (such as for instance slides, lecture notes, exercises, bibliography) and communications from the lecturer specific to the course can be found inside the Moodle platform › blended.uniurb.it

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Teaching

The course includes lectures and collaborative learning activities, with in-depth explorations of educational mediators and meaning-making processes in early childhood. Students will participate in group projects to design educational strategies through the use of diverse educational mediators

Innovative teaching methods

A learning-by-doing approach will be adopted for certain topics, encouraging active and applied learning in the field of education.

Attendance

Attendance in the course is not mandatory.

Course books

Reference Text:

Mascia, T. (a cura di) (2023). Pensiero, linguaggio e literacy emergente: processi di mediazione nell’Infanzia. Raccolta Miscellanea Digitale. Please note: the digital text is available on Moodle.

Assessment

Learning outcomes will be assessed through a written test consisting of 5 open-ended questions aimed at verifying the students' knowledge and skills. The time given to answer the questions of the written test is 1 hour.

Answers to the questions will be scored from 0 to 6, based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Level of knowledge and understanding of the subject;
• Relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the program's content;
•  Suitability of the disciplinary language used.

 The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.

Teaching

Non-attending students are invited to consult the teaching material uploaded on Moodle (slides discussed in class, examples of didactic situations, etc.) through which it will be possible to deepen the study of the volumes indicated in the section "Study Texts".

Attendance

Attendance in the course is not mandatory.

Course books

Reference Text:

Mascia, T. (a cura di) (2023). Pensiero, linguaggio e literacy emergente: processi di mediazione nell’Infanzia. Raccolta Miscellanea Digitale. Please note: the digital text is available on Moodle.

Assessment

Learning outcomes will be assessed through a written test consisting of 5 open-ended questions aimed at verifying the students' knowledge and skills. The time given to answer the questions of the written test is 1 hour.

Answers to the questions will be scored from 0 to 6, based on the following evaluation criteria:

• Level of knowledge and understanding of the subject;
• Relevance and effectiveness of the answers in relation to the program's content;
•  Suitability of the disciplinary language used.

 The final evaluation is expressed in thirtieths.

Disability and Specific Learning Disorders (SLD)

Students who have registered their disability certification or SLD certification with the Inclusion and Right to Study Office can request to use conceptual maps (for keywords) during exams.

To this end, it is necessary to send the maps, two weeks before the exam date, to the course instructor, who will verify their compliance with the university guidelines and may request modifications.