ED 343 Introduction to Language & Literacy
This course focuses on the role of oral language acquisition and language development in children from pre-kindergarten to grade 3 as necessary for building foundational skills in literacy. Participants examine early reading and writing instruction from historical, theoretical, critical, and pedagogical perspectives that consider the research that has shaped literacy instruction during the past century. The effects of environmental and home influences on children's cognitive development and its impact on phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, concepts of print, and phonics as predictors of general reading ability are explored.