Early Literacy in Preschool: Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing
A balanced language arts program is comprised of four components of early literacy--speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Instructional methods grounded in scientifically based reading research instruct children in vocabulary development, alphabetic knowledge, phonological and phonemic awareness, concepts of print, writing development, listening and communication skills, and reading comprehension. Acquiring this knowledge is critical for the young child's emergent and early reading development and comprehension skills.
Preparing young children for the transition to early reading in kindergarten will help them to be successful learners both during kindergarten as well as in the years following.
Staff development for preschool and prekindergarten teaching staff incorporates the following to enhance the reading development of children ages three through five:
- Introducing teachers and staff to the components of an early literacy curriculum used in the preschool/prekindergarten classroom
- Developing and designing a comprehensive, balanced, developmentally appropriate literacy-rich program
- Learning instructional practices and activities to encourage speaking, listening, reading, and writing
- Creating a literacy-rich classroom environment
- Involving families in supporting language and literacy
- Assessing children's skills in receptive and expressive language
- Implementing effective learning strategies for children with diverse learning styles, special needs, and English language learners.
