Oral Language and Early Literacy in Preschool: Talking, Reading, and Writing

Front Cover
International Reading Association, Apr 2, 2009 - Education - 144 pages

The development of oral language skills in the preschool years is crucial to children’s future reading achievement and school success. In this fully updated second edition of Oral Language and Early Literacy in Preschool, part of the Preschool Literacy Collection, authors Kathleen A. Roskos, Patton O. Tabors, and Lisa A. Lenhart show you what you need to know about joining oral language with early reading and writing instruction in your classroom to prepare your students for life both in and out of school.

New features in the second edition include

  • Expanded sections on daily instructional planning, using assessments, creating substantive conversation with compelling themes, and effective conversational strategies
  • New teaching protocols and instructional frameworks, as well as new techniques for shared book reading
  • A “My ABCs” appendix that serves as a one-stop shop for quickly locating information about assessments, recommended books, and curricular resources that you can use to improve your language and literacy program
  • A professional development section at the end of each chapter to extend your application of the best practices offered in this book

Use this book to guide your preschoolers in developing their oral language skills to become eager learners, ready readers, and budding writers.

About the author (2009)

Catherine A. Rosemary, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Education and Allied Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. Before joining the university in 1995, Dr. Rosemary worked for 16 years in public schools as a special education teacher, reading specialist, and director of curriculum and instruction. She currently directs the Literacy Specialist Project, a statewide professional development initiative for improving literacy teaching in preschools through grade 12, and is codirector of the Reading First--Ohio Center for Professional Development and Technical Assistance in Effective Reading Instruction. Her work has led to numerous research presentations and publications on the influence of professional development on teacher learning and practice. Dr. Rosemary was instrumental in developing the Literacy Specialist Endorsement, a newly offered credential available to teachers in Ohio.
Kathleen A. Roskos, PhD, a Professor in the Department of Education and Allied Studies at John Carroll University, teaches courses in reading instruction and reading diagnosis. Formerly an elementary classroom teacher, Dr. Roskos has served in a variety of educational administration roles, including director of federal programs in the public schools and department chair in higher education. For 2 years she directed the Ohio Literacy Initiative at the Ohio Department of Education, providing leadership in pre-K-12 literacy policy and programs. Dr. Roskos studies early literacy development and learning, teacher cognition, and the design of professional education for teachers, and has published research articles on these topics in leading journals. She is currently amember of the e-Learning Committee and the Early Childhood Commission of the International Reading Association (IRA) and President of the IRA’ s Literacy Development for Young Children Special Interest Group.
Leslie K. Landreth, MA, is Assistant Director of the Literacy Specialist Project at John Carroll University, where she also teaches undergraduate reading courses as an adjunct instructor. Before joining the Literacy Specialist Project in January 2000, she taught for 25 years in elementary schools and libraries in Michigan, California, South Carolina, and Ohio. Her work has been driven by a passion for children’ s literature, an interest in the English language, and a desire to provide effective literacy instruction. Ms. Landreth’ s current role with the Literacy Specialist Project centers on the design and implementation of a literacy curriculum for educators in Ohio. Through her curriculum development work, she has made significant contributions to statewide professional development in literacy.