Instruction to Help Young Children Develop Language and Literacy Skills: The Roles of Program Design and Instructional Guidance

Abstract

This article discusses the kinds of instructional activities that young children need to develop basic language and literacy skills based on recent research and program evaluations. This includes approaches to develop alphabetic understanding, phonological awareness, vocabulary, and oral language. Activities and materials from the Pre-kindergarten Literacy program are provided as examples of methods preschool teachers can use to help young children develop skills in these domains. Activities have a basic structure to provide teachers with a clear understanding of what to do, including research support for learning objectives and instructional practices.

Keywords:

• classroom instruction
• language development
• literacy
• preschool curriculum

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This project was funded by the Institute of Education Sciences, Grant R324A070136.