I had the opportunity to work with Dr. James Christie as an externship experience at
Arizona State University in teaching a master’s level class in emergent literacy. The course was designed to examine recent research on oral language and literacy development and effective strategies for teaching language and literacy in prekindergarten to grade 3, including phonemic awareness, alphabet instruction, and beginning decoding.

Course Description

RDG 525: Emergent Literacy, examines the development of oral and written language from birth to age 8, and describes a range of educational strategies for promoting growth in speaking, listening, reading and writing.

ECD 525: Emergent Literacy, examines recent research on the oral language and literacy development and effective strategies for teaching language and literacy in prekindergarten to grade 3, including phonemic awareness and alphabet instruction and beginning decoding.

Course Objectives

Goal/Objective

1. Describe how children acquire oral language.
2. Discuss ways that parents and teachers children’s oral language development.
3. Describe what preschool children learn about reading and writing before they enter school and receive formal instruction.
4. Identify factors that promote early literacy development.
5. Describe the major perspectives on early literacy instruction.
6. Discuss the developmental trajectories in emergent reading, emergent writing, concepts of print and phonological awareness.
7. Describe the role of storybook reading and literature in early literacy development and discuss effective strategies for reading to young children.
8. Discuss play’s role oral and written language development and describe effective strategies for linking play with early literacy.
9. Describe strategies that early childhood teachers can use to promote young children’s oral language, concepts about print, phonemic awareness, alphabet recognition, phonics, sight vocabulary and comprehension.
10. Describe characteristics of effective literacy curricula
11. Discuss strategies for promoting family literacy and increasing parent involvement.
12. Manage reading instruction and create a supportive learning environment.
13. Assess children’s early literacy abilities using formal and informal assessment.
14. Adapt reading instruction to accommodate children with diverse needs.