The practice of early literacy instruction:
Two examples
Unlike the very real and immediate sounds and
meanings of talk, print is silent; it is obscure; it is not of
the here and now. Consequently, early literacy instruction
must often be explicit and direct, which is not to
say that it must be scriptlike, prescriptive, and rigid
(Schickedanz 2003). Rather it should be embedded in
the basic activities of early learning long embraced by
early education practice and research. These include
reading aloud, circle time, small group activities, adultchild
conversations, and play.
Teachers can embed reading and writing instruction
in familiar activities, to help children learn both the
conventions of print and how print supports their immediate
goals and needs. The two examples below
show how what’s new about early literacy instruction
fits within tried-and-true early education practice.