What's the Number 1 Way to Improve Early Literacy and Language Skills?

I just read an interesting article in the Las Vegas Review-Journal on-line that I found interesting only because it was so affirming for me.

I have been a proponent for many years of using Read Aloud strategies and Shared Reading strategies to build langauge - and early literacy - skills; particularly for kids with language delays and disorders.



When I was an SLP in the public schools I worked primarily with students we used to call "Language-Learning Disabled."  
They had significant language disorders and the associated difficulties with learning reading skills.

Most of my intervention revolved around reading books and building language skills through literature.




As I've kept up with the research coming out of UNC-Chapel Hill from Karen Ericsson's group, Penn State University from Janice Light and David McNaughton, and Janet Sturm's research (she's now in Michigan) I've continued to try to gear my intervention materials to the types of Before-During-After activities and comprehension questions that build language skills for kids.

So, imagine my piqued interest at the title of an article, "Program challenges, improves listening comprehension on Kindergarten through second-graders."
The article then goes on to say that a project involving Read Alouds with text-dependent, language - based questions and activities has been successful in improving comprehension skills.

If you haven't seen my Shared Reading handout (it's free), you can download a copy here. 




If you're looking for more in-depth materials and information, I have more background and templates for activities with visual cues to use in this resource here.



Keep reading.  Keep talking.



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