Language Stories and Literacy Lessons

The authors reveal children as growing, effective, sensitive users of language. Before any formal schooling, they have already had much experience with language - opportunities to compare, contrast, and use it in a wide variety of settings. Children are adaptive, and are aware of the contextual subtleties of language; the written and spoken evidence of children's encounters with language is the basis of the research. This evidence tells stories - language stories, from which lessons about the nature of literacy may be drawn.

While this is not a methods text in a traditional sense, it is essential reading for those wishing to update their understanding of what is known about written language and written language learning. (Teachers and graduate students in reading, writing, and language arts may wish to use this book in conjunction with The Authoring Cycle videotape series.)

JEROME C. HARSTE is a well known author of childrens books, such as It Didnt Frighten Me and My Icky Picky Sister (Willowisp Press). Harstess research has focused on what young children know prior to coming to school. Together with Carolyn Burke and Virginia Woodward, their book Language StoriesLiteracy Lessons (Heinemann) received the David H. Russell Award for Distinguished Research in the Teaching of English by the National Council of Teachers of English in 1987.