DEVELOPING LITERACY IN PRESCHOOL TOOLS FOR TEACHING LITERACY Donna Ogle and Camille Blachowicz, SeriesEditors This highly practical series includes two kinds of books: (1) grade-specific titles for first-time teachers or those teaching a particular grade for the first time; (2) books on key literacy topics that cut across all grades, such as integrating literacy with technology and science, teaching literacy through the arts, and fluency. Written by outstanding educators who know what works based on extensive classroom experience, each research-based volume features hands-on activities, reproducibles, and best practices for promoting student achievement. These books are suitable as texts for undergraduate- or graduate-level courses; preservice teachers will find them informative and accessible. TEACHING LITERACY IN SIXTH GRADE Karen Wood and Maryann Mraz TEACHING LITERACY IN KINDERGARTEN Lea M. McGee and Lesley Mandel Morrow INTEGRATING INSTRUCTION: LITERACY AND SCIENCE Judy McKee and Donna Ogle TEACHING LITERACY IN SECOND GRADE Jeanne R. Paratore and Rachel L. McCormack TEACHING LITERACY IN FIRST GRADE Diane Lapp, James Flood, Kelly Moore, and Maria Nichols PARTNERING FOR FLUENCY Mary Kay Moskal and Camille Blachowicz TEACHING LITERACY THROUGH THE ARTS Nan L. McDonald and Douglas Fisher TEACHING LITERACY IN FIFTH GRADE Susan I. McMahon and Jacqueline Wells TEACHING LITERACY IN THIRD GRADE Janice F. Almasi, Keli Garas-York, and Leigh-Ann Hildreth INTEGRATING LITERACY AND TECHNOLOGY: EFFECTIVE PRACTICE FOR GRADES K–6 Susan Watts Taffe and Carolyn B. Gwinn DEVELOPING LITERACY IN PRESCHOOL Lesley Mandel Morrow DEVELOPING LITERACY in Preschool Lesley Mandel Morrow Series Editors’ Note by Donna Ogle and Camille Blachowicz THE GUILFORD PRESS New York London © 2007 The Guilford Press A Division of Guilford Publications, Inc. 72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012 www.guilford.com All rights reserved Except as indicated, no part of this book may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher. Printed in the United States of America This book is printed on acid-free paper. Last digit is print number: 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 LIMITED PHOTOCOPY LICENSE These materials are intended for use only by qualified professionals. The Publisher grants to individual purchasers of this book nonassignable permission to reproduce all materials for which photocopying permission is specifically granted in a footnote. This license is limited to you, the individual purchaser, for use with your own clients or students. It does not extend to additional professionals in your institution, school district, or other setting, nor does purchase by an institution constitute a site license. This license does not grant the right to reproduce these materials for resale, redistribution, or any other purposes (including but not limited to books, pamphlets, articles, video- or audiotapes, and handouts or slides for lectures or workshops). Permission to reproduce these materials for these and any other purposes must be obtained in writing from the Permissions Department of Guilford Publications. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Morrow, Lesley Mandel. Developing literacy in preschool / by Lesley Mandel Morrow. p. cm. — (Tools for teaching literacy) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-1-59385-462-1 (pbk.: alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-59385-462-5 (pbk.: alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-1-59385-463-8 (hardcover: alk. paper) ISBN-10: 1-59385-463-3 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Language arts (Preschool) 2. Children—Language. I. Title. LB1140.5.L3M64 2007 372.6—dc22 2007006564 I dedicate this book to my daughter and son-in-law, Stephanie and Doug Bushell, and their preschool children, James Ethan and Natalie Kate, my grandson and granddaughter. James was 2 to 4 years of age while I was writing this book, and Natalie, birth to 2. They added a special dimension to my writing because I could live their literacy development as I wrote. As you will notice, many of the photos in the book are of James and Natalie because I had wonderful access to them and because I adore them. I could not have written this book without their help. ABOUT THE AUTHOR LesleyMandelMorrow,PhD,isProfessorofLiteracyatRutgersUniversity’sGrad- uate School of Education, where she is Chair of the Department of Learning and Teaching.Shebeganhercareerasaclassroomteacher,becameareadingspecialist, andreceivedherPhDfromFordhamUniversity.Shehasdoneextensiveresearchin the areas of early literacy development and the organization and management of language arts programs, which involves working with children and families from diverse backgrounds. Dr. Morrow has authored or edited more than 250 publica- tionsthatincludejournalarticles,bookchapters,monographs,andtextbooks.She received the Excellence in Research, Teaching, and Service Awards from Rutgers University, the International Reading Association’s Outstanding Teacher Educator of Reading Award, and Fordham University’s Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement. In addition, Dr. Morrow has received numerous grants for research fromthefederalgovernmentandhasservedasaprincipalresearchinvestigatorfor the Center for English Language Arts, the National Reading Research Center, the Center for Early Reading Achievement, and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Lab. She wasanelectedmemberoftheBoardofDirectorsoftheInternationalReadingAsso- ciation,anorganizationof90,000educatorsin100countries,andservedasPresi- dentoftheorganizationfrom2003to2004.Dr.MorrowwaselectedtotheReading Hall of Fame in 2006. vi SERIES EDITORS’ NOTE As teacher educators and staff developers, we have become aware of the needforaseriesofbooksforthoughtfulpractitionerswhowantapracti- cal,research-basedintroductiontoteachingliteracyatspecificgradelev- els. Preservice and beginning teachers want to know how to be as effec- tive as possible; they also know there are great differences in what students need acrossgradelevels.Wehavemetteacherafterteacherwho,whenstartingtoteach or moving to a new grade, asked for a guide targeted at their specific grade level. Until now we have not had a resource to share with them. Wealsocollaboratewithstaffdevelopersandstudygroupdirectorswhowant effectiveinservicematerialsthattheycanusewithteachersatmanydifferentlevels yetthatstillprovidespecificinsightsforindividualgradelevels.ThustheToolsfor Teaching Literacy series was created. Thisseriesisdistinguishedbytwoinnovativecharacteristicsdesignedtomake itusefultoindividualteachers,staffdevelopers,andstudygroupsalike.EachTools for Teaching Literacy volume: (cid:1) Is written by outstanding educators who are noted for their knowledge of research, theory, and best practices; who spend time in real classrooms workingwithteachers;andwhoareexperiencedstaffdeveloperswhowork alongside teachers applying these insights in classrooms. We think the series authors are unparalleled in these qualifications. (cid:1) Is organized according to a structure shared by all the grade-level books, which include chapters on: (cid:2) the nature of the learner at the particular grade level (cid:2) appropriate goals for literacy vii viii Series Editors’ Note (cid:2) setting up the physical environment for literacy (cid:2) getting to know students with appropriate assessments and planning for differentiation (cid:2) a week in the grade-level classroom—what this looks like in practice with important instructional strategies and routines (cid:2) resources for learning With this common organization across the grade-level books, a staff developer can use several different volumes in the series for teacher study groups, new teacher seminars, and other induction activities, choosing particular discussion and learning topics, such as classroom organization, that cross grade-level con- cerns.Teacherscanalsoeasilyaccessinformationontopicsofmostimportanceto them and make comparisons across the grade levels. In this volume, Lesley Mandel Morrow writes from her experience as a pre- school teacher, a reading specialist, a college professor and researcher, and a mother who is now a grandmother. While the book emphasizes high expectations for children and teachers, it is sensitive to the need to be age appropriate when buildingthefoundationsofliteracy.Sheremindsusthat“preschoolersarepassion- ate about learning,” and we need to capitalize on this passion by immersing them inliteracy.Weknowyouwillbeexcitedbythisvolume,whichisnotonlyresearch based but also chock full of teacher-friendly, classroom-tested, accessible, doable ideas to give our youngest students the start they need. DONNA OGLE CAMILLE BLACHOWICZ PREFACE A great deal has changed concerning literacy development in preschool overthepastfewyears.Asaresultofcurrentresearch,wehavecometo realizenotonlythatpreschoolerscanlearnalotaboutliteracybutalso that they can be taught about it in an appropriate manner. This book deals with methods of teaching literacy to preschoolers from 2 to 5 years old. The book is meant to be a friendly professional development volume with theory, research,policy,andpracticeincluded.Thepracticeemphasizedincludesstrategies for intentional teaching of skills in a way that is appropriate for preschoolers. Chapter1visitsaliteracy-richpreschoolclassroom.Thedesignofthephysical environment, a schedule for the daily routine, and a description of the activities throughoutthedayareprovidedtogiveatotallookatwhatcanbedonetodevelop literacy in preschool. Chapter 2 takes a look at the history, theory, research, and policy that have influenced preschool programs from the 1800s to the present. We learn that prac- tices from the past, such as play, spontaneous learning, exploration, and experi- mentation,arestillvaluabletodaybutthatthesystematicteachingofliteracyskills in the areas of emergent reading, writing, listening, speaking, and viewing is equally important. Chapter 3 helps to create an organizational framework for this literacy-rich preschool and addresses design factors of the physical environment of the class- roomthatspecificallyaffectliteracydevelopment,suchasthecreationofaliteracy centerwithbooks,manipulativematerialsforretellingstories,andtechnologythat motivates early literacy. Parent involvement is another important element in orga- nizing the literacy program. Chapter 4 discusses organization and management for literacy instruction in preschool. It emphasizes the importance of a curriculum based on themes in pro- ix