Today, I’m taking on a couple of common questions about early education and reading. The questions seem to be opposites, but are really two sides of the same coin. In one form, I hear, “Why don’t you teach reading?” The other, “Isn’t it damaging to teach kids reading in preschool?”
Both questions are well-intended, but hinge on some common misunderstandings I hope to address today.
Listen
Notes from the Show
(May contain affiliate links.)
Why Don’t You Teach Reading? A Look at Emergent Literacy.
Age Does Matter: Your Questions Answered by Dr. Marcy Gudemi (Gesell Institute)
(NOTE: When mentioning “splinter skills” I think it’s important to point out that *some* children may genuinely be able to perform tasks on the early end of the developmental spectrum. But the idea that *all* children will be able to perform at the early end of the spectrum pushes into the territory of “splinter skills”.)
Your Baby Can Read Costs Too Much {Janet Lansbury}
Language for Literacy – The Importance of Building Vocabulary in Preschool
Heidi Song’s Chart of Developmental Writing Progression
I believe the idea of inviting children to “make a book” rather than “write a book” comes from this book on nurturing writers in early childhood.
Don Holdaway quote referenced from this (awesome!) handbook for prekindergarten literacy building.
For home-based activities, this book is one of my favorites for supporting families in building literacy in a developmentally appropriate way.
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