This practical guide for early childhood professionals introduces strategies for supporting early literacy skills (phonological and print awareness) in preschoolers during storybook reading time. This book is intended to teach important background information on language acquisition, oral language development, and literacy skills. The authors offer step-by-step instructions for effective adult-child interactions during storybook reading time with individual children and with small groups. They introduce five domains of language (listening, speaking, reading, writing, comprehension) and show how the domains can be developed through storybook reading. The book also provides tips on how to motivate children for reading time and gives advice on working with children with developmental delays and behavior problems. The book discusses how to motivate parents to participate in their children's language and literacy development. At the end of the book, the authors offer advice on how to choose books most suitable for achieving early literacy skills, as well as a Q & A section and a glossary that provide additional information on resources and definitions of technical terms.

Author Biography

Helen K. Ezell is a speech-language pathologist in the Department of Instruction and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. She specializes in the study of children's early language development and emergent literacy acquisition. Her research has involved a range of topics, including vocabulary development, print awareness, and reading comprehension. She has published extensively in professional journals and has authored two other books -- Guide to Success in Doctoral Study and Faculty Work (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, 2002) and The Syntax Handbook (co-authored with Laura Justice, Thinking Publications, 2002). Dr. Ezell served as Director of Communication Development for 8 years at Western Center, a Pennsylvania residential facility for individuals with mental retardation, and as Associate Research Scientist for 5 Years with Allegheny-Singer Research Institute before joining the faculty at Ohio University. She currently holds a research position at the University of Pittsburgh with the Pennsylvania Reading First External Evaluation Project. Laura M. Justice, Ph.D., EHE Distinguished Professor, Teaching and Learning Administration, Executive Director of the Schoenbaum Family Center and the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University, 175 E 7th Ave., Columbus, Ohio 43201 Dr. Justice's research primarily focuses on young children who exhibit developmental vulnerabilities in language and literacy acquisition. Much of her research considers the effects of teacher- or parent-implemented interventions on children's learning, including the effective use of storybooks. She is a recipient of the Annie Glenn Leadership Award in Speech-Language Pathology, the Editor's Award (from the American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology), the Early Career Publication Award (from the Division of Research, Council for Exceptional Children), the Erskine Fellowship (from the University of Canterbury), and the Fulbright Scholar Award. Dr. Justice has also received the Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (from President G.W. Bush).