A r c h i v e d  I n f o r m a t i o n

The focus is prevention Conditions under which reading is likely to develop most easily Conditions that include stimulating environments to infants, toddlers and preschoolers, effective kindergarten instruction, excellent reading instruction, and the absence of a wide array of risk factors.

Shared Reading Warm Atmosphere around Storytime, Reading, Writing, and Pretend play Make sure to have Books that have Child's Favorite Content Connect Child's Favorite Activities with Reading Books

Talk With Children (Vocabulary) Phonological Awareness Speech Discrimination Listening Comprehension Encourage Play Between Child and Adult Read/Tell/Enact Stories Read to Learn

Create Print Rich Environments Point Out Literacy Conventions Letter and Early Word Recognition Provide Writing/Drawing Implements Provide Dictation Opportunities

Screen for Developmental Risks Strong Language and Literacy Environments Access to Books and Other Literacy Tools Developmental Intervention

The U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs Office of Educational Research and Improvement Early Childhood Institute The National Institute of Health Human Learning and Behavior Branch

Enthusiasm to Learn to Read and Write Uses and Functions of Written Language Develop and Enhance Language and Metacognitive Skills For Children Likely to Experience Difficulties to Participate in Effective Prevention Programs

Professional Development

Supervised Field Placement

Mentor Teachers for Novice Teachers

• rich conceptual experiences that promote growth in vocabulary and reasoning
• support for lexical development, both number of words learned and depth of meaning of those words
• enhancing the development of listening comprehension skills, through among other things exposure to complex syntax and varied genres
• supporting children's development of narrative abilities
• enhancing children's sensitivity to the sounds of language
• developing awareness of print
• inspiring interest in reading

• develop a rich vocabulary
• develop story-telling and book-reading skills
• know a lot about children's literature
• read widely for their own purposes
• learn a lot about topics of interest to young children (dinosaurs, deep sea life, astronomy, space travel, etc.)

• understand the sublexical structure of English
• understand typical developmental pathways of language and of literacy development
• assess individual children's progress and identify children showing difficulties
• recognize cultural differences in style of talk and of story telling
• know about the typical course of second language acquisition in young children

• Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children
• NAEYC/IRA statement on Developmentally Appropriate Practice
• New Standard Project's oral language standards
• Head Start Performance standards
• Carnegie funded 'Helping teachers teach reading': early childhood/preschool component
• Eager to Learn

• Among many early childhood teachers, a maturationist view of young children's development persists despite much evidence to the contrary

• Habits of speaking and listening

• talking a lot
• self-monitoring
• conversing at length on a topic
• discussing books

• Kinds of Talk

• narrative
• explaining and seeking information
• getting things done
• producing and responding to performances

• Language use and conventions

• rules of interaction
• word play and language awareness
• vocabulary and word choice