Language development in early childhood education

Summary: Written for Language Development in Early Childhood Education and Emergent Literacy courses, this text efficiently combines theory, research, and intentional developmentally appropriate practice to provide a solid foundation for understanding language development from birth to age 8. Not only does it provide excellent guidance on how to develop classrooms and guidelines that enhance children’s language development, but it also has a unique chapter on observing children and assessing their language abilities and provides suggestions for family collaboration. The goal of this text is to present future early childhood educators with a compelling, comprehensive view of language development in young children while remaining focused on the development of phonological, semantic, syntactic, morphemic, and pragmatic language skills, children’s understanding of written language, and ways in which this acquisition process can be enhanced in early childhood settings. Interesting vignettes of young children's language development open each chapter, and within each chapter anecdotal narratives illustrate key concepts and interaction strategies.