Reflections on the readings of Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) Teaching Language and Literacy Preschool through the Elementary Grades (5th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Reading Chapters 1-3 in Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) solidified and increased my understandings of best practices literacy teachers should use. One of the foundational keys to an effective literacy program is providing balanced instruction that includes aspects of meaning-based methods (whole language) combined with teaching core literacy skills. As shown in Figure 1.1 (p. 12), some features of meaning-based instruction include print-rich classrooms, storybook reading, and opportunities for students to use reading and writing in meaningful ways during independent station activities. In the same graphic, the authors listed features of skill-based learning or scientifically based reading research (SBRR) such as phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and concepts about print to name a few. Providing direct skills instruction gives students the tools they need to help them construct meaning from their reading and writing experiences with text as they participate in whole-language classroom activities.

Many strategies are needed for effective literacy instruction. For example, educators should consider how they model reading and writing and what type of literacy opportunities they provide for their students. Children need to see the adults in their lives using literacy to engage in everyday tasks so they will see its value. Children should also be given opportunities themselves to use reading and writing in meaningful ways to communicate, not just for school assignments. Specifically for reading teachers, modeling what they’re thinking as they read will help students develop the understanding that their brain is active while reading. I tell my students that they have a little reader voice in their head. It should always be awake when they’re reading, actively listening to and thinking about the text, in order to comprehend what’s being read. Some additional effective strategies include providing opportunities for students to learn in a social setting through collaboration, building positive relationships with students’ families and helping them support their children as learners, assessing students in various ways and using the data to drive instruction, self-reflection on teaching methods and adjusting those methods based on outcomes, and acknowledging each student’s unique and diverse background when developing instructional strategies and activities for the classroom.

When considering how children develop language, Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) propose there are four major views: behaviorist, nativist, social-interactionist, and neurobiological. Behaviorists believe that language is primarily developed through a child’s interaction with caregivers. The child learns which sounds are correct by interpreting the responses of the parents, adjusting them to solicit positive reactions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the nativist view is based on the idea that children are born with the ability to learn language and their development is not dependent on caregiver interactions. This ability was coined LAD, language acquisition device, by Noam Chomsky (1965). The social-interactionist view falls in the middle of the first two. They believe that humans do have an ability for language at birth, but also that their development is influenced by engaging with caregivers. Specifically, children’s language development increases when the caregivers acknowledge that their attempts at speech have meaning and encourage continued conversation. The neurobiological view supports the other three views with evidence of brain activity through data collected with recent improvements in brain imaging techniques. Neuroscientists believe children are born with language abilities, but to develop the language modeling from caregivers and interaction with them is necessary.

Acquiring English as a second language is similar to first language acquisition in children who are exposed to both languages from birth. They can communicate in either language and translate back and forth between languages as needed. However, children who are first exposed to English upon entering school usually progress through different stages. At first students continue to speak their native language. Next, students go through a “silent period” (Krashen, 1981; Saville-Troike, 1988) in which their receptive language gradually increases through social and academic experiences at school, but they don’t speak the new language yet. During the third period, students begin to use a few words or short phrases and finally they start speaking in full sentences. Each EL (English language) learner is unique and has an individual trajectory of learning so students spend differing amounts of time in each period or stage. For example, I recently taught a set of twin girls who were EL learners and their personalities affected their language acquisition because the one who was very shy experienced a much longer silent phase compared to the sister who was more of an extrovert.

A reading specialist can support children’s language development by adhering to the strategies for effective literacy instruction outlined by Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) as they plan and implement lessons with students and partner with teachers, families and communities who play supportive roles in the language development of young children. They should provide information and training to stakeholders about the importance of oral language development, including the stages of development most children experience from birth to age 5 and what warning signs might indicate a child is experiencing a developmental delay. Reaching out to the community to provide information about language development in infants, babies and toddlers before they enter school is important since interactions with caregivers at a young age can greatly influence a child’s future literacy success in school. Reading specialists can assist parents and guardians with strategies to use at home that will increase their children’s oral language development and help them be better equipped for learning when they enter a structured school setting.