Literacy Learning for Infants, Toddlers, and Preschoolers: Key Practices for Educators

Description: Spring
2023 Smart Book winners from the Academics' Choice Awards

Literacy Learning begins at birth and continues throughout our lives! Birth to age 5 is a critical period in building the foundation for later success in reading and writing. Educators play a vital role in nurturing young children's early language and literacy knowledge and skills. However, the specific practices that support literacy development in early childhood are often different than those used with older children.  

 

From some of the foremost early literacy development experts in the field comes this practical resource that is a must-have for all educators of infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Using eight key practices-Knowing, Showing, Designing, Including, Engaging, Explaining, Observing, and Responding--as the framework, the authors discuss how educators can support five important areas of young children's early literacy development:

Language and knowledge
Print concepts

Sounds and letters
Writing
Text comprehension

Review Quotes: Too often, educators are simply told they need to teach early literacy without being provided with support for how to engage young children in meaningful and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. This book is filled with evidence-based and easy-to-implement teaching practices that educators can put into practice immediately. The emphasis on the power of intentional environments and interactions as the pathway to supporting literacy learning for young children is aligned with everything we know about what's important for our youngest learners.     

-Bridget K. Hamre, Research Associate Professor, University of Virginia, and CEO and Cofounder, Teachstone 

 

This is simply the best book on early language and literacy in the marketplace. It not only elucidates research and key practices in a highly informative, jargon-free way, it brings these practices to life in engaging vignettes that make them all the more real to readers.  

--Susan B. Neuman, Professor of Childhood Education and Literacy Development, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University 

 

If you're thirsty for more about the science of early literacy instruction, read this brilliant book. The children you teach will benefit richly from what you learn. Parents should read it too!   

 --Ronald F. Ferguson, Founder and President, The Basics, Inc., and Faculty Director, Achievement Gap Initiative at Harvard University