Developing Language and Literacy with Young Children

This is an excellent book. It is well organized and deals effectively with the many issues relating to early language and literacy development.

The book provides a wealth of practical strategies with the theories and research that underpin them, for developing a learning environment, rich in positive and stimulating language and literacy experiences. It reminds us that children who are struggling with literacy needs more, rather than fewer, of these. This makes it a very useful text for early years practitioners struggling to challenge the imposition of inappropriate practice themselves and the children they work with, in order to `raise standards′. It should be read, not just by them, but everyone involved in primary education′ - Nursery World

This accessible book is about the most exciting and important aspect of human development - language in the early years (0 - 8). It is a book for carers, parents, teachers and other professionals who work and play with young children and share in the emergence of their language. It will support early years carers and practitioners by giving them a confident understanding of children′s language development in the years from birth to age eight.

The book works with the rich mixture of thinking, feeling, imagining, talking, listening, drawing, writing and reading that is typical of all our language activities. The author reasserts the importance of children′s relationships and communications with people, who care about them, spend time with them and share in the excitement of their developing languages and their investigations of literacy. This holistic approach covers:

- early communication and language

- the achievements of young bilinguals

- the significance of stories, narrative and language play

- the emergence of literacy in homes, early years settings and classrooms.

Marian R Whitehead was formerly a Senior Lecturer in Education at Goldsmiths College, University of London, with responsibility for organizing and teaching M.A. degrees in Language and Literature and Early Childhood Education. She has published extensively on literacy, literature and bilingualism and is a co-editor of the journal Early Years. She now combines writing with language and early years consultancy work.

She is the co-editor of Early Years, An International Journal of Research and Development. She is a well known author, and her books include How to Develop Children′s Early Literacy, with Makin, L (Paul Chapman Publishing 2003), Developing Language and Literacy with Young Children, Second Edition (Paul Chapman Publishing, 2002) Supporting Language and Literacy in the Early Years (1999) Open University Press.