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Literacy Development and Instruction in Early Childhood


Course Description

Emergent literacy development of preschool through grade three children; theory and research relevant to instructional approaches and practice. This is a reading endorsement course for elementary teachers.


Athena Title

Lit Dev and Instr Early Child


Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in LLED 6420E


Semester Course Offered

Offered every year.


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

Students will: 1. Articulate a sound, theoretically based philosophy of reading development and instruction for prek-3rd grade. 2. Explain the relation between the theory and practice of emergent literacy and beginning literacy learning. 3. Represent reading as a process that is both social and developmental. 4. Explain ways to organize classroom literacy instruction and organizational implications for students and teachers. 5. Articulate how issues of diversity relate to early literacy development. 6. Discuss the role of technology related to early literacy. critically analyze relevant readings to identify the work of key thinkers and researchers in early literacy. 7. Critically analyze and make connections between course readings and class assignments among theory, research, and practice. 8. Engage in personal/reflective and professional/academic writing.


Topical Outline

1. Alphabet; Concepts About Stories and Print; Auditory and 2. Visual Discrimination 3. Classroom Literacy Learning Environment 4. Language Experience 5. Phonemic Awareness and Phonics 6. Vocabulary in the Primary Grades 7. Oral Reading Strategies 8. Comprehension of Narrative and Expository Texts Fluency 9. Assessing Children's Literacy 10.Demonstrating Strategies 11.Independent Reading 12.Shared Reading 13.Guided Reading