Week 4: Using Children’s Literature to Support Literacy Development – Content Review

* Course Text: Morrow, L. M., Freitag, E., & Gambrell, L. B. (2009). Using childrens literature in preschool to develop comprehension: Understanding and enjoying books (2nd ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
o Chapter 1, Why Comprehension of Childrens Literature Is Important in Preschool,pp. 1-9
o Chapter 2, Creating Literacy Centers for Reading, Storytelling, and Comprehending Books Skills, pp. 11-2, up to Creative Storytelling in the Literacy Center. Using the Literacy Center, through p. 37
o Chapter 3, Supporting Reading Comprehension: Responding to Books, pp. 39-67
o Chapter 4, Using Children’s Literature Throughout the Preschool Curriculum, pp. 69-77, up to Conducting a Thematic Unit

* Course Text: Building a Foundation for Preschool Literacy: Effective Instruction for Children’s Reading and Writing Development
o Chapter 4, Reading Aloud: Sharing Books with Young Children, pp. 51-64

* Media: Early Literacy
o Program 4, Emergent Literacy: Classroom Demonstration (approximate length: 14 minutes)
Preschool teacher Robert Recio explains how he uses books and other recommended practices to develop young children’s literacy skills.

* Article: National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2010). Ten steps for reviewing children’s books [Electronic version]. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/Publications/TenStepsforReviewingChildren’sooks.pdf. Ten Steps for Reviewing Children’s Books: Supplementary resource to Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves, by Louise Derman-Sparks & Julie Olsen Edwards. Copyright 2010 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Reproduced with permission of the National Association for the Education of Young Children via Copyright Clearance Center.

Supplemental Resources

* Course Text: Using Children’s Literature in Preschool to Develop Comprehension: Understanding and Enjoying Books
o Chapter 2, Creating Literacy Centers for Reading, Storytelling, and Comprehending Books Skills, pp. 22-32
o Chapter 3, Supporting Reading Comprehension: Responding to Books, pp. 57-62, up to Developing Comprehension with Collaborative Strategies
o Chapter 4, Using Children’s Literature Throughout the Preschool Curriculum, Conducting a Thematic Unit,through p. 79

* Web Resource: Children’s Books that Break Gender Role Stereotypes
http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200303/Books4Children.pdf

* Web Article: Reading Aloud with Children of All Ages
http://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200303/ReadingAloud.pdf

Content Review

Directions:

* Respond to each item. Each response should be concise and between 2-3 paragraphs in length.
* Use MS Word to write your responses, and submit your answers to all three questions in one Word document.
* Copy and paste each question within the document, so that your Instructor can see to which question you are responding.

1. Put yourself in the place of a preschool director who is following the guidelines and recommendations for using literature with young children that are included in this week’s Learning Resources. Write a brief statement that explains what you want parents and other family members to know about why and how children’s books are used in your program to promote early literacy. Include research from the reading to support your reasoning.

2. Review the section on English-language learners on pages 7-9 of Using Children’s Literature in Preschool to Develop Comprehension. Choose one strategy recommended for all children, including English-language learners. Then choose a familiar story such as The Three Little Pigs or another common folk tale and explain how you would use this story and the strategy with a group of preschoolers that includes at least one child who is learning English. Cite the Learning Resources you used as references.

3. In your own words, explain the terms comprehension and fluency and how they apply to young children’s literacy development. Then briefly describe how to use children’s literature to develop preschoolers comprehension and fluency in age-appropriate ways. Cite evidence from the Learning Resources to support your answer.