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Language and Literacy: The Early Years

 Susan Hill defines literacy as “reading, writing, speaking and listening, and involves the knowledge and skills required to engage in activities required for effective functioning in the community” (pg 3) and language as “any system of symbols that” are “used to communicate meaning” (pg 21).  Therefore Susan Hill’s version of language and literacy can be linked in with language and literacy in the early years, according to Lori Jamison Rog, which involves a balanced approach to the teaching of three main aspects of literacy. As shown by figure 1, the first aspect is word study, and involves phonics and vocabulary; the second aspect is a writing workshop which involves modelled, shared, interactive, guided and independent writing; and the final aspect is a reading workshop which involves reading-aloud, shared, guided and independent reading.  Rog LJ, stated that a balanced approach to teaching “requires opportunities for reading and writing //to// students, reading and writing //with// students, and reading and writing //by// students” (pg 8).  As suggested by Dorothy Strickland a balanced approach does not suggest that teaching should involve a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but more so a balanced approach suggests sharing time between each of the concepts evenly and not treating them as separate concepts but rather as a grid where each concept supports the other and where they all need to be strong and interwoven for sufficient learning of language and literacy to take place.   Drawing upon all sources; language and literacy involves reading and writing, to, with, and by students as well as speaking and listening and a system of symbols that create meaning, and effective teaching of language and literacy involves equally sharing the focus of classes between each aspect of language and literacy so that on aspect does not dominate in the teaching in the classroom but rather each one supports the other in their capacity for a child to learn <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> <span style="DISPLAY: block; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">effectively.

<span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> <span style="DISPLAY: block; COLOR: #000000; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">To cover what I have learnt about the effective teaching of language and literacy in the early years I will focus on phonics, reading and writing

<span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> Contents:

<span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> Phonics <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> Reading <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center"> Writing <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">References <span style="DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; TEXT-ALIGN: center">