Handbook of Early Literacy Research, Volume 2

by Dickinson, David K.; Neuman, Susan B.

• ISBN13: 9781593855772
• ISBN10: 159385577X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-05-02
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

Current research increasingly highlights the role of early literacy in young children's development--and informs practices and policies that promote success among diverse learners. The Handbook of Early Literacy Research presents cutting-edge knowledge on all aspects of literacy learning in the early years. Volume 2 provides additional perspectives on important topics covered in Volume 1 and addresses critical new topics: the transition to school, the teacher-child relationship, sociodramatic play, vocabulary development, neuroimaging work, Vygotskian theory, findings from international studies, and more.

Author Biography

David K. Dickinson, EdD, is a professor at the Peabody School of Education, Vanderbilt University. He received his doctoral training at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education after teaching elementary school in the Philadelphia area for 5 years. Since the early 1980s he has studied language and early literacy development among low-income populations, with a focus on the role of oral language in literacy development. Dr. Dickinson has examined the interrelationships among language, print skills, and phonemic awareness and has conducted detailed studies of language use patterns in early childhood classrooms. He helped create tools for describing literacy support in preschool classrooms, and developed and studied approaches to providing professional development for preschool teachers. Widely published, Dr. Dickinson has served on numerous advisory boards and recently was on a commission assisting the National Association for the Education of Young Children with revising its accreditation standards.

Susan B. Neuman, EdD, a professor in educational studies specializing in early literacy development, returned to the University of Michigan in 2004 after a 2-year hiatus, during which she served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. Her research and teaching interests include early childhood policy, curriculum, and early reading instruction. In her role as Assistant Secretary, she established the Reading First program and the Early Reading First program, and was responsible for all activities in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Dr. Neuman recently received an honorary doctorate from the California State University-Hayward, where she also conducted her master's work in reading and curriculum. Widely published, she received her doctorate from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Cognitive and Linguistic Building Blocks of Early Literacy Development

A Window of Opportunity We Must Open to All: The Case for Preschool With High-Quality Support for Language and Literacy

The Knowledge Gap: Implications for Early Education

Vocabulary Development and Instruction: A Prerequisite for School Learning

Literacy Development: Insights from Research on Skilled Reading

Neurobiological Investigations of Skilled and Impaired Reading

Phonemic Awareness and Letter Knowledge

Conceptualizing Phonological Processing Skills in Prereaders

The Development of Phonological Sensitivity

Phonemic Awareness and Reading: Beyond the Growth of Initial Reading Accuracy

The Roots of Learning to Read and Write: Acquisition of Letters and Phonemic Awareness

Families and Relationships: Socioemotional and Linguistic Supports

The Influence of Parenting on Emerging Literacy Skills

Teacher-Child Relationships in Early Literacy

Environmental Supports for Language Acquisition

The Misunderstood Giant: On the Predictive Role of Early Vocabulary to Future Reading

Cultural and Linguistic Diversity

Effective Interventions for English Language Learners (Spanish-English) at Risk for Reading Difficulties

Recent Research on the Language and Literacy Skills of African American Students in the Early Years

Cultural Diversity in Early Literacy: Findings in Dutch Studies

Considering Culture in Research-Based Interventions to Support Early Literacy

Supporting Literacy in Preschool Classrooms

Vygotskian Perspectives on Teaching and Learning Early Literacy

Preschool Classroom Environments and the Quantity and Quality of Children's Literacy and Language Behaviors

The Relationships between Sociodramatic Play and Literacy Development

Encouraging Young Children's Language Interactions with Stories

Early Literacy Policy and Pedagogy

Programmatic Interventions During the Preschool Years

Reading Ahead: Effective Interventions for Young Children's Early Literacy Development

A Pediatric Approach to Early Literacy

Emergent Literacy of Low-Income Children in Head Start: Relationships with Child and Family Characteristics, Program Factors, and Classroom Quality

Toward Effective Primary Grade Instruction

The Transition to School

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