Supporting Emergent Literacy in the Early Years

Sinéad Harmey is Associate Professor in Literacy Education at University College London Institute of Education (UCL IOE), UK. She is Director of the International Literacy Centre UCL IOE and a member of the strategic board of New Vision English hub. She is a former co-editor of Literacy, a journal of the United Kingdom Literacy Association, and member of the editorial board of Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk.

"Drawing on the author’s own experiences as a primary teacher and Reading Recovery tutor, as well as her extensive work as a researcher in emergent literacy—particularly writing—this book brings together the unique perspectives of a teacher, teacher educator, and literacy researcher. Each chapter is founded on theory and research but remains firmly grounded in the realities of classroom practice. Taking a whole-child approach, the book attends to writing, reading, and talk as interconnected aspects of becoming literate. This book encourages readers to reflect on their own practice, building confidence in what to teach, when, and how, so that children’s literacy learning feels purposeful, supported, and intentional. A breath of fresh air!"- Debra Myhill, Professor of Education, University of Exeter"This book is first and foremost an important contribution to understanding how we can develop children’s learning. One of its many impressive features is the way that Sinead Harmey’s knowledge about research and the practices that educators need is melded in such a compelling narrative. This is the kind of book that only someone steeped in education research and early years practice could write: its hallmark is a powerful interpretation of research portrayed in ways that can clearly guide practices that should be happening in early childhood education settings wherever they are. Augmenting the rigorous balanced approach to its topic the book also has a radical streak. The outstanding work of Marie Clay, who we learn coined the term ‘emergent literacy’, is quite rightly portrayed as an essential contribution to today’s early years literacy teaching. This is in marked contrast to the intemperate views that a minority of academics and journalists have expressed about Clay’s work, not least the misunderstanding of the nature of ‘cues’. The book deserves to be widely read by all with an interest in young children’s education."- Dominic Wyse, Professor of Early Childhood and Primary Education, University College London

• Figures Tables Acknowledgements Introduction to Supporting Emergent Literacy in the Early Years 1. Emergent Literacy 2. Multimodality: What does it mean and why does it matter? 3. Developing language through literacy 4. Developing an ear for literacy 5. Sharing stories or messages 6. Understanding how print works 7. Print knowledge: knowing letters and words 8. Self-esteem and identity in early literacy 9. Physical development and literacy 10. Assessment in early literacy 11. Early identification and support for overcoming challenges Appendix 1 References