4.2 Describes how parents, peers & communities may see, feel & shape young children’s early literacy & numeracy experiences.

Throughout our first literacy and numeracy workshop I began to develop a broader understanding on the definitions of literacy and numeracy, and how we use them in everyday life. Post workshop I began to reflect on what young children’s experiences of literacy and numeracy are, and how parents, peers and communities may see, feel and shape these experiences. I began to realise that children begin to have these experiences from when they are babies, they have these experiences because of the conversations their parents have with them and from their observations of every day life. As I developed my understanding I began to think of specific experiences children may have with parents, peers and communities. When I was at work I began to notice and pay attention to the types of literacy and numeracy experiences children have when shopping with their parents. The children begin to develop and have literacy experiences with their parents as they hold the shopping list and help there parents cross things of, have conversations about the fruit in the shop and ask questions. They also have literacy experiences with the community as children often ask me to scan items their holding and have conversations with me. As well as literacy experiences children are exposed to many numeracy experiences when shopping, these include seeing all the prices around the shop, seeing the costs on the register screen as I scan items, counting with their parents how many apples they have and helping their parents count out money and receiving change.  From week one I have gained knowledge and understanding on the types of literacy and numeracy experiences young children have in every day life. And realised the role parents, peers and communities play in shaping children’s literacy and numeracy experiences.