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Language, Literacy, and Communication | HighScope Preschool Curriculum

CURRICULUM
PRESCHOOL

CURRICULUM>PRESCHOOL>WHATWETEACH>LANGUAGEANDLITERACY

Language,Literacy,andCommunication

WhatWeTeach
PRESCHOOLKDIS

Speaking,Listening,ReadingandWriting

APPROACHESTO
LEARNING

Theconnectionbetweenlanguageandliteracyispowerful.
TheHighScopePreschoolCurriculumfocusesonthisconnection
byprovidingmeaningfullanguageandliteracyexperiencesfor
childrenduringeverypartofthedailyroutine.Sincespeaking,
listening,reading,andwritingdeveloptogether,alltheseactivities
arepromotedinHighScopeearlychildhoodprograms.

SOCIAL
DEVELOPMENT
PHYSICAL
DEVELOPMENT
LANGUAGEAND
LITERACY
MATHEMATICS

Duringthepastthreedecades,researchershavelearnedagreat
dealabouthowlanguageandliteracydevelopinyoungchildren.
Basedonthisresearch,HighScopehasidentifiedtenKey
DevelopmentalIndicators(KDIs)inlanguage,literacy,and
communication.Thesedevelopmentalmilestonesarethebasisfor
planningliteracyrelatedexperiencesinHighScopepreschool

CREATIVEARTS
SCIENCEAND
TECHNOLOGY
SOCIALSTUDIES

HowWeTeach
HowWeEvaluate

PreschoolCurriculum
Preview
RelatedProducts
RelatedTraining

classrooms.

WhyHighScope

KDIsinLanguage,Literacy,&Communication

SampleActivities

21.Comprehension:Childrenunderstandlanguage.

SpecialNeeds

22.Speaking:Childrenexpressthemselvesusinglanguage.

ConflictResolution

23.Vocabulary:Childrenunderstandanduseavarietyofwordsandphrases.

VideoClips

24.Phonologicalawareness:Childrenidentifydistinctsoundsinspokenlanguage.

INFANTS&TODDLERS

25.Alphabeticknowledge:Childrenidentifyletternamesandtheirsounds.

MOVEMENT&MUSIC

26.Reading:Childrenreadforpleasureandinformation.

ELEMENTARY

27.Conceptsaboutprint:Childrendemonstrateknowledgeaboutenvironmentalprint.

28.Bookknowledge:Childrendemonstrateknowledgeaboutbooks.

EARLYLITERACY

29.Writing:Childrenwriteformanydifferentpurposes.
30.Englishlanguagelearning:(Ifapplicable)ChildrenuseEnglishandtheirhomelanguage(s)
(includingsignlanguage).

Herearesomeofthe"lessonslearned"fromlanguageandliteracyresearchthatareappliedevery
dayinHighScopepreschoolprograms:
Theacquisitionoflanguageandliteracyskillsissocial.Ithappensbecauseyoungchildrenwantto
interactandcommunicatewithothers.
Literacylearningoccursduringmeaningfulinteractions,experiences,andactivities.
Childrendifferinhowandhowfasttheylearn.
Somelanguageandliteracylearninghappensnaturallyduringplayandeverydayexperiences,and
somedependsonexplicitinstructionfromobservantandsensitiveadults.
Differencesinchildren'shomelanguageandculturecanaffectliteracydevelopment.Classroom
literacyexperiencesshouldallowforandvaluethesedifferences.
Languageandliteracyareconnectedfrominfancyonward.Speaking,listening,reading,andwriting
developconcurrently(together)ratherthansequentially(oneaftertheother).
EarlyliteracystrategiesarediscussedindepthinarangeofHighScopepublicationsandtraining
activities.SeethelinksonthispageandtheEarlyLiteracysectionofthiswebsiteformoreinformation
onhowHighScopecanhelpyoucarryouteffectiveresearchbasedearlyliteracyinstructioninyour
earlychildhoodprogram.

HighScopeEducationalResearchFoundation.Copyright2017AllrightsReserved.

ThenameHighScopeanditscorporatelogosareregisteredtrademarksandservicemarksoftheHighScopeFoundation.

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Language, Literacy, and Communication | HighScope Preschool Curriculum

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