Preschool Language & Literacy
Explore resources designed to improve instruction in early language and literacy.
- View a visual diagram of both practices
- Watch a topic overview and download planning templates
- Watch a short overview
Explore the subtopics below to learn more about the recommended practices:
To learn more about the research underlying these practices, view the intervention reports on phonological awareness, phonological awareness with letter knowledge training, shared book reading, interactive shared book reading, and dialogic reading.
Teaching Phonological Awareness in Preschool
Preschool Language & Literacy > Phonological Awareness > Overview & Tools
This overview describes phonological awareness and its importance. It emphasizes planning instruction along a sequential developmental continuum of skills, scaffolding instruction, and providing...
Resource Type
Overview
Interactive and Dialogic Reading in Preschool
Preschool Language & Literacy > Interactive & Dialogic Reading > Overview & Tools
This overview explains interactive and dialogic reading, its importance to children's language development, and how teachers can implement this practice. It highlights the teacher's use of...
Resource Type
Overview
Preschool Language and Literacy
Preschool Language & Literacy > Overview & Tools
Watch this short overview to learn about the importance of preschool education to a child's long-term success. The overview explains how to use two research-based practices to improve instruction...
Resource Type
Overview
Implementing Dialogic Reading
Preschool Language & Literacy > Interactive & Dialogic Reading > Learn What Works
Dr. Lonigan discusses dialogic reading, its importance to children's learning, key features, questioning techniques, lesson planning, and teacher support. Dr. Lonigan is Associate Director of the...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Providing Phonological Awareness Instruction
Preschool Language & Literacy > Phonological Awareness > Learn What Works
Dr. Landry describes the developmental continuum of phonological awareness and why it is important to address skills at the highest level of the continuum, including linking letters and...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Phonemic Segmentation
Preschool Language & Literacy > Phonological Awareness > See How It Works
Watch Dr. Louisa Moats, reading expert and consultant, demonstrate activities for teaching segmentation and connecting sounds to letters.
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Letters vs. Phonemes
Preschool Language & Literacy > Phonological Awareness > See How It Works
Dr. Louisa Moats, reading expert and consultant, illustrates the difference between a phoneme and a letter and explains why it is important to teach phonological awareness skills in addition to...
Resource Type
Expert Interview
Visual Diagram: Preschool Language and Literacy
Preschool Language & Literacy > Overview & Tools
This visual diagram illustrates the "big picture" of the practices and can be used to engage preschool teachers in discussion about their instruction. Use the left side to discuss the continuum of...
Resource Type
Visual Diagram
Partnering With a Coach to Improve Instruction
Preschool Language & Literacy > Interactive & Dialogic Reading > See How It Works
Listen to a coach and teacher discuss how they formed a partnership, the coaching conversations that were most helpful, and the ways they worked together to differentiate instruction for bilingual...
Resource Type
School Example
About Oceans: Integrating Language and Literacy Activities
Preschool Language & Literacy > Phonological Awareness > See How It Works
A preschool teacher discusses how she plans early literacy and language instruction, extends learning through teachable moments, and monitors student learning using a thematic unit on...
Resource Type
School Example
Helping Teachers Learn New Practice
Preschool Language & Literacy > Interactive & Dialogic Reading > See How It Works
A preschool director describes how mentors form reciprocal relationships with teachers; employ observational and assessment data to engage teachers in developing action plans; and use videos to...
Resource Type
School Example
Training Coaches/Mentors to Work With Teachers
Preschool Language & Literacy > Interactive & Dialogic Reading > See How It Works
Listen to a director explain what mentors need to know about modeling, helping teachers develop lesson plans, and providing feedback. As you listen, look at the Mentor Log: Planning On-Site...
Resource Type
School Example
