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"The gains students make in literacy should have direct benefit to their lives.  These benefits may be either immediate (e.g., learning to recognize one's name to locate personal belongings) or long term (e.g., being able to decode text to fain meaning from a passage of interest)" (Browder, Gibbs, Ahlgrim-Delzell, Courtade, Mraz & Flowers, 2009, p. 271).

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"Assessment of young children's book knowledge may be a crucial factor in helping teachers to provide best practice for young children in their development of these literacy skills which may ultimately result in proficient readers" (Young Lee, 2011, p. 286).

"Conducting meaningful assessments allows teachers to reflect on emergent literacy goals they have for their students" (Young Lee, 2011, p. 286).

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"Given that reading success underlies overall school success, teachers and parents of children ages 3-5 years must do everything in their power to promote early childhood literacy" (Epstein, 2003).

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"...emergent literacy development may be delayed for children who are experiencing developmental difficulties..." (Justice & Pullen, 2003, p.100)

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Common ideas:

Literacy rich play environment

Shared book experiences

Adapting instruction to meet the needs of all

Structured activities

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Adapting Instruction to Meet the Needs of All

The following can be used to help children with developmental delays: Picture Communication Symbols, adapted books, BIGmack, Intellikeys program for the computer (Beck, 2002).

"Integrating assistive technology into emergent literacy activities appears to increase, maintain, or improve the skills necessary for reading (Beck, 2002, p.47).

To meet the needs of students with speech difficulties you could use a Big mac device to assist children in reading repeated lines of a story (Cooper-Duffy, Szedia & Hyer, 2010).

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Shared Book Experiences

"Shared storybook reading is viewed as particularly powerful because it provides an interactive context that is contextualized, authentic, meaningful, interesting, and motivating to the preschool child" (as cited in Justice & Pullen, 2003, p. 103).

"Just providing children with increased access to storybooks results in substantial gains in emergent literacy, including alphabet knowledge and print concepts" (as cited in Justice & Pullen, 2003, p. 103).

"...when reading typical storybooks, adults can encourage children to attend to print features (including print embedded within illustrations) by asking questions, making comments about print, and tracking the print while reading" (Pullen & Justice, 2003, p.92).

Have children actively participate during storybook readings by asking them to name or point to pictures in the book, repeat lines, and interact with props (Pullen & Justice, 2003).

"Read aloud to your class once or twice a day, exposing children to numerous enjoyable stories, poems, and information books" (Roskos, Christie & Richgels, n.d.)

"While introducing and reading the text, draw children's attention to basic concepts of print such as the distinction between pictures and print; left-to-right, top-to-bottom sequence; book concepts (cover, title, page)" (Roskos, Christie & Richgels, n.d.).

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Strategies/Activities to Promote Literacy

"To introduce alphabet knowledge, on can begin by showing a child the first letter of her name. This helps the child not only identify the letter, but connect it to something meaningful" (Irwin, Moore, Tornatore & Fowler, 2012, p.21).

"Book handling skills include knowing how to hold a book properly and knowing that reading progresses from left to right" (Irwin, Moore, Tornatore & Fowler, 2012, p. 22).

List from Epstein, 2003:
"Have daily conversations with children." "Singing songs, telling stories, reciting rhymes, and moving to rhythmic chants help children develop phonological awareness; that is, knowing the sounds of speech."

"Keep lots of printed materials and writing materials within children's reach."

"Set up a reading and writing space for children."

"Let children observe adults reading and writing."

"Read with children every day."

"Call children's attention to reading and writing in everyday activities."

"Display children's writing."

Activities to promote rhyme and alliteration awareness and blending and segmenting skills. (Pullen & Justice, 2003)

"Encourage children to attempt to read books and other types of print by providing...functional print linked to class activities (e.g., daily schedules, helper charts, toy shelf labels); play related print (e.g., signs, menus, employee name tags in a restaurant play center)" (Roskos, Christie & Richgels, n.d.).

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Literacy Rich Play Environments

"...creating a literacy-rich environment includes providing opportunities for children to acquire skills related to book knowledge/print awareness, phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and early writing skills" (Johnston, McDonnell & Hawken, 2008, p. 212).

"The general design of play-based interventions involves the deliberate integration of literacy props and materials into children's dramatic play settings in the classroom" ((Justice & Pullen, 2003, p. 108).

"A number of studies have shown that integrating literacy artifacts into children's play settings can encourage children's print awareness" (Pullen & Justice, 2003, p.93).

"Specific to early literacy, descriptive research shows that literacy-in-play strategy is effective in increasing the range and amount of literacy behaviors during play, thus allowing children to practice their emerging skills and show what they have learned" (Roskos, Christie & Richgels, n.d.).

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Potential title: Promoting Early Literacy in a Preschool Classroom to Increase the Pre Reading Skills of Students with Special Needs

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Literacy skills are essential to success in school.

Developing early literacy skills makes it easier for children to learn to read.

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Students do not seemed to be engaged during story time.

Students show little interest in books.

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Potential topic: Increasing the early literacy skills of my preschool students.