Morrow, L. M. (2007). Developing literacy in preschool. Reviewed by Rocio Delgado, Trinity University

Morrow, L. M. (2007). Developing literacy in preschool. NY: Guilford Press. Pp. 231         ISBN 978-1-59385-462-1 Reviewed by Rocio Delgado Trinity University August 19, 2008 Developing literacy in preschool is an important addition to the literature on teaching methodology for young children. Each of the chapters in this book presents research-based practices from the perspective of a classroom teacher. Multiple examples of teacher-student interactions at the preschool level are provided. Each of these represents an opportunity for the reader to envision him/herself working in the early childhood classroom environment and implementing the reading, writing, and oral language development practices described in the book. Moreover, each chapter helps educators and teacher educators consider possibilities toward the creation of more child-centered environments. Developing literacy in preschool is a good selection for teacher education courses that cover children’s literacy development in the early years. Individual chapters look at different literary aspects and factors needed for children’s continued growth in the literacy continuum. Chapter one, entitled “A literacy-rich preschool classroom,” sets a clear tone for what literacy entails. The author begins with a description of the physical environment of a classroom in which students are actively engaged in reading and writing for real purposes. Teachers’ voices provide ideas for classroom management, daily scheduling, and thematic instruction in the literacy classroom. The history, theory, research, policies, and policy that inform developmentally appropriate practices in quality preschool settings are discussed in chapter two. Tables presented in this chapter outline (1) the goals for preschool literacy development and (2) the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive stages of children’s development from 1 to 6 years of age. Classroom centers and the materials to be included in each area are described in detail in chapter three. The types of children’s literature to be represented in the literacy center, along with creative ideas for storytelling, become the central focus of this chapter. Chapter four presents examples of thematic teaching, as well as different grouping strategies (i.e., whole-class, small-group, one-to-one) for instruction. Furthermore, the use of observations, daily performance samples, audio/videotapes, surveys and interviews, checklists, and portfolios as tools for authentically assessing student learning is discussed. Chapter five describes the stages of children’s oral language development in detail. In addition to presenting theories of language acquisition, the author provides strategies that teachers and parents can use to encourage language development in the child’s first year, at ages 1 and 2, and in the 3 through 5 age group. Examples of the use of checklists, tape recordings, and anecdotal records in the classroom are discussed as strategies to assess children’s language development. Suggestions on how to help English language learners develop proficiency in a second language while respecting native language and cultural differences are also included. Chapter six expands the discussion on the relationship between oral language development and becoming literate. Different approaches teachers can use to support children’s growth in reading (i.e., environmental print, morning message, sight vocabulary, word study, word walls, language experience approach, etc.) are described in this chapter. The definitions of phonological awareness and phonemic awareness are provided, as well as specific examples, activities, and ideas for instructing students in these areas. This chapter presents a balance between utilizing specific strategies to teach reading to preschoolers and the importance of expanding children’s reading abilities by building on their strengths and prior knowledge. Chapter seven discusses the use of children’s literature in the preschool classroom. The scenarios of teachers sharing books with young children illustrate the use of read-alouds to develop vocabulary, increase language complexity, learn concepts about books, and encourage children’s reading responses. Moreover, implementation steps for collaborative strategies (i.e., buddy reading, partner reading, think-alouds, echo reading, etc.) that increase reading comprehension are included in this chapter, including examples of questions to ask before, during, and after reading. Chapter eight presents the theory and research about writing development, including examples of what children’s writing look like at each of the developmental stages of writing ability. Ideas, specific activities, and strategies to foster the development of writing in the preschool classroom are described. Furthermore, this chapter introduces Writer’s Workshop and the different purposes for young children’s writing. Checklists for assessing writing development and the writing environment are also provided. Developing literacy in preschool summarizes existing knowledge about literacy comprehensively and concisely. It clearly describes what parents and teachers can do to help children reach early literacy goals, thus contributing to bridge the sometimes existing gap between theory and practice and/or between home and schools. Furthermore, a section in each chapter discusses the application of presented content to working with culturally and linguistically diverse students (i.e., English language learners) and their families. References at the end of each chapter are extremely helpful in directing readers’ to resources that expand on different literacy-related topics. Similarly, comprehensive lists of children’s literature, definitions of literary terms, examples of thematic units, and professional associations and websites dealing with early literacy in the appendices make this volume an accessible practice-oriented textbook. About the Reviewer Rocio Delgado is an assistant professor at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. Her research interests include the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students with/without disabilities and collaboration among school professionals.