Language, Literacy and Early Childhood Education helps students to understand the nature of oral language, reading and writing, providing the essential knowledge needed to guide the language development and learning needs of young children. The book ensures that students have the theoretical framework before they enter the classroom but balances it with the practical knowledge required to tackle the subject with confidence. It looks in depth at the practical strategies and activities for each of the early childhood learning contexts and maintains an accessible approach by using illustrations, charts and tables to summarise key points.

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• Based on the latest research and theoretical perspectives, and includes the national curriculum guidelines.
• Looks at closely at oral language – vital to early childhood literacy.
• Uses activities in each chapter to help bring to life each developmental area.
  

PART 1: YOUNG CHILDREN AND LANGUAGE

1. Understanding Oral Language

2. Theories and Phases of Oral Language Development

3. Early Childhood Settings and Oral Language Learning and Development

4. Key Early Childhood Learning Contexts and Oral Language

5. Learning Experiences and Activities for Speaking and Listening

6. Language, Thinking and Learning

7. Assessment: Speaking and Listening

PART 2: UNDERSTANDING LITERACY: READING & WRITING

8. Understanding Literacy: Definitions and Theoretical Perspectives

9. Understanding Reading

10. Phonological Awareness, Graphophonic Relationships and Sight Words

11. Strategies for Teaching Reading

12. Vocabulary for Reading and Writing

13. Reading for Comprehension

14. Developing Reading Fluency

PART 3: LEARNING TO WRITE

15. Introduction to Writing

16. Writing Purpose and Text Organisation

17. The Writing Conventions: Grammar and Punctuation

18. Spelling and Handwriting

19. Key Strategies for Teaching Writing 

20. Writing Experiences and Activities

21. Writing: Assessment and Evaluation

PART 4: FRAMING LANGUAGE AND LITERACY LEARNING

22. Children’s Literature

23. Visual and Critical literacy

24. Literacy and Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

25. Connecting with Families

26. Planning for Language and Literacy Teaching and Learning

Janet Fellowes – Senior Lecturer, Language and Literacy Education in Early Childhood, Edith Cowan University

Grace Oakley - Associate Professor, Graduate School of Education, The University of Western Australia