The Yukon Learning Quest: Learning Language and Loving It™ as a college elective in the Yukon

Rosanne Bloom-Pereira, Hanen Certified SLP
Carole Kroening, Hanen Certified SLP

Five years ago, eight SLPs from Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, became certified to run the Learning Language and Loving It Program, thanks to a wonderful workshop presented by Cindy Earle. In May of 2002, the first noncredit Learning Language and Loving It Program was offered to nine participants in Whitehorse. A question that often came up addressed offering Learning Language and Loving It for credit as part of the Early Childhood Program at Yukon College.

It took the next year and several meetings with staff from the Child Development Centre (CDC) and Yukon College to get the idea off the ground. We were fortunate to have the full support of Sandra Beckman, formerly the early childhood education coordinator at the college. Sandra helped us with the finer details of creating all the docu-ments required for a college-level course.

In August 2003, the academic council at Yukon College approved the course Language in Children (also known as ECE 109). Students who completed Learning Language and Loving It were eligible to receive advanced standing (two credits) in ECE 109. But, we soon realized that offering Learning Language and Loving It as a three-credit elective would be more appealing to students. So, starting in January 2004, we increased the number of classes and videotapings to meet the college’s requirements for a three-credit course.

Funding

High caseloads at CDC prevented the SLPs from offering Learning Language and Loving It without additional funding. Since 2003, CDC has been fortunate to receive funding from Advanced Education, a branch of the Government of Yukon Department of Education. Many Yukoners — especially preschoolers — have enjoyed the various programs funded by Advanced Education, which has recognized the importance of language and pre-literacy skills at the preschool level. The Learning Language and Loving It content and CDC’s ability to offer the course outside Whitehorse made the course a perfect fit for Advanced Education’s funding requirements. The funding has enabled us to purchase enough textbooks to provide a “loaner” to each student and a copy to each participating childcare facility. We also used the funds to cover the costs of substitutes hired during the videotaping sessions.

Course content and grading

Ten classes, six videotapings and 10 assignments (Hanen action plans and observation guides) make up the course content. Learning Language and Loving It Program Manager, Janice Greenberg, provided some direction regarding the development of the two extra classes on pretend play and circle time. Students are expected to attend every class in order to meet the college’s criteria for a threecredit course. (In the event that a student could not avoid missing a class, he or she must submit additional homework.)

We decided to use a pass/fail grading system based on completion of all course requirements, as well as a show of progress in using the Learning Language and Loving It strategies. Students fax completed homework to the instructors before their assigned videotaping sessions, so that they are better prepared and the instructors have a chance to clear up any misunderstandings prior to videotaping.

Course delivery

Learning Language and Loving It has been taught for college credit eight times since September 2003. One of the requirements tied to our funding was offering the course to all Yukoners, not just residents of Whitehorse. We’ve accommodated this quite easily, as we make regular trips (monthly or bimonthly) to rural communities. To date, three Learning Language and Loving It courses have been taught outside of Whitehorse in the communities of Teslin, Watson Lake and Dawson City. These courses have been taught over two semesters (as opposed to the course offered in Whitehorse, which is taught over one). The SLP who taught the course led the classes and did the videotapings whenever CDC traveled to that community.

On occasion, when poor weather prevented CDC from traveling to rural communities (a January day of -45 degrees Celsius is one example!), we used teleconferencing to teach the class. (Tele- and videoconferencing are not a viable teaching option on a regular basis due to the interactive nature of the Learning Language and Loving It course, but telecomferencing did permit us to stick to the course schedule without interruption.)

Participants

Initially, our students were typically childcare workers from daycare centres and dayhomes, with experience ranging from minimal to several years’ worth. Most had not completed an Early Childhood Development Diploma. Recently, however, people who have already completed the diploma have been taking the course. Paraprofessionals who work one-onone with children with special needs, or in supporting these childrens’ integration into preschool settings, are flocking to Learning Language and Loving It. The CDC therapists appreciate the increased skills that these paraprofessionals are gaining.

Challenges

All the instructors found it challenging to reconcile what was expected from a college course. We all grappled with issues related to teaching a college course and ensuring that students met all the requirements for a threecredit course. Most students have been able to meet the requirements, but we have had occasion to issue failing grades to those who have not. This has been difficult, because in Hanen Programs participants do not fail. An additional challenge is not knowing from year to year if we will receive the Advanced Education funding to offer the course again.

Accomplishments

Since we taught the first Learning Language and Loving It course in the Yukon, over 80 students have taken it in four different communities. Given the current ratio of children to daycare employees, we can project that approximately 640 Yukon preschoolers have benefited from their educators or caregivers having taken the course.

In September 2005, we sent a survey to some past participants, asking about their use of the course strategies. The participants responded overwhelmingly that they used at least two or three of the Learning Language and Loving It strategies on a daily basis, including OWL, SSCAN, and balancing questions with comments. Many students reported that Learning Language and Loving It was the best — and most practical — course they had ever taken. One student said, “We talk so much to children and so much of what we say can be empty content. Now I am more aware of what I say to children.” Another student mentioned that she had only focused on “information” before, but now she was aware of “interaction.”

All the instructors enjoy the many benefits of teaching the Learning Language and Loving It course, which are both personal (getting to know the strategies inside and out!) and professional. We enjoy watching our students grow more confident in applying the Learning Language and Loving It strategies, developing a positive working relationship with daycare staff and, above all, watching the children’s language grow.

We hope our opportunity to present the Learning Language and Loving It course continues — it creates such a valuable situation for the preschool community in the Yukon.