The early literacy skills that are developed during the preschool years have a strong relationship with later literacy skills. The Early Literacy Summer Institute is designed for early childhood educators, administrators, and instructional coaches who work in preschool programs. This course will engage participants in learning that supports the implementation of research based effective practices that promote intentional literacy experiences in preschool classrooms.
Day 1 will feature Dr. Laura Justice, an EHE Distinguished Professor, Teaching and Learning Administration, Executive Director of the Schoenbaum Family Center and the Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy at The Ohio State University. 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. Dr. Justice’s presentation will focus on literacy development in young children, the importance of explicit/systematic instruction to build literacy skills, the use of book reading/read alouds for teaching foundational literacy knowledge and skills, and strategies to scaffold and differentiate instruction to support children’s differing literacy skills.
Day 2 will focus on research-based instructional practices and strategies that support young children´s early literacy knowledge and skills in the five key areas of literacy development that correlate and have been shown to be predictive of later literacy outcomes – oral language, phonological awareness, alphabetic knowledge, print concepts, and writing.
3 additional hours of on-line contact hours are required in addition to the face-to-face dates. Online content links will be shared by instructor for webinars and videos.
This course is being offered through a grant from the Iowa Department of Education. Each district represented at both days of the training will receive one copy of Read It Again-PreK, a preschool curricular supplement that promotes language and literacy foundations developed by Laura Justice and Anita McGinty; a set of the 15 children´s books used in Read It Again-PreK; and a set of the Read It Again-PreK Lesson Materials. Please note that these materials will go to each district rather than each participant.
Course is not offered for Drake credit.
Course is not open to paraeducators.