Language and literacy development: what educators need to know

pt. I. Introductory issues

1. Introduction

Overview of topics

General approach of this book

2. Brain development, language, and literacy

Further explorations of cytoarchitecture : cell types and brain layers

Seven major processes of brain development

Factors affecting brain development

Conclusions and caveats.

pt. II. The development of spoken language competence

3. An overview of spoken language competence

The "nature of" question : what does it mean to say that a child has spoken language competence?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children acquire spoken language competence?

The developmental trends question : how does spoken language competence change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in spoken language competence?

The deficiencies questions : are there populations of children or adults who lack some or all of the key skills of spoken language competence? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to read or after they have learned to read?

4. The development of phonological skills

The "nature of " question : what does it mean to say that a child has phonological processing competence?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children acquire phonological processing competence?

The developmental trends question : how does phonological processing competence change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in phonological processing competence?

The deficiencies question : are there populations of children or adults who lack some or all of the key skills of phonological processing competence? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to read or after they have learned to read?

5. The development of work meaning and vocabulary

The "nature of" question : what does it mean to say that a child knows the meaning of words?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children know the meaning of a large number of words?

The developmental trends question : how does a child's spoken vocabulary change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in children's spoken vocabulary?

The deficiencies question : are there populations of children or adults who have underdeveloped or impaired spoken vocabularies? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to read or after they have learned to read?

6. The development of grammatical knowledge

The "nature of" question : what does it mean to say that a child has grammatical knowledge?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children ever acquire grammatical knowledge?

The developmental trends question : how does a child's grammatical knowledge change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in children's grammatical knowledge?

The deficiencies question : are there populations of children or adults who have underdeveloped or impaired grammatical knowledge? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to read or after they have learned to read?

pt. III. The development of reading and writing skills

7. Beginning reading

The "nature of" question : what does it mean to say that a child has beginning reading skills?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children acquire beginning reading skills?

The developmental trends questions : how do beginning reading skills change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in beginning reading skills?

The deficiencies question : are there populations of children or adults who lack some or all of the beginning reading skills? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to read or after they have learned to read?

8. The development of reading comprehension

The "nature of" question : what does it mean to say that a child has reading comprehension skills?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children acquire reading comprehension skills?

The developmental trends question : how do reading comprehension skills change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in reading comprehension skills?

The deficiencies question : are there populations of children or adults who lack some or all reading comprehension skills? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to read or after they have learned to read?

9. The development of writing skills

The "nature of" question : what does it mean to say that someone has writing competence?

The relevance question : why should teachers care about whether children acquire writing skills?

The developmental trends question : how do writing skills change over time?

The developmental mechanisms question : what factors promote changes in writing skills?

The deficiencies question : are there populations of children or adults who lack some or all writing skills? Do these individuals experience problems when they learn to write or after they have learned to write?

pt. IV. Individual and group differences in language and literacy

10. Motivational issues in speaking, reading, and writing

An opportunity-propensity model of student achievement

The nature of motivation

The development of motivation

Individual differences in motivation

Instructional implications

11. Sociocultural issues in speaking, reading, and writing

The role of gender in language and literacy skill acquisition

The role of SES in language and literacy skill acquisition

The role of ethnicity in language and literacy skill acquisition

The role of dialect in language and literacy skill acquisition

Conclusions.

pt. V. Instructional techniques and programs

12. General principles of effective instruction

Effective teachers are skilled decision makers in the classroom

Domain-general principles of effective instruction

Summary : identifying effective approaches

13. Language and literacy programs that work

Interventions that develop emergent literacy skills

Interventions that develop reading skills

Interventions that develop comprehension skills

Final thoughts

references

Index.