Essentials of Literacy from 0-7 by Bruce, Tina; Spratt, Jenny;

Short description:

By advocating the need for practitioners to be reflective when teaching the 0-7 age range, this book presents a gentle method of developing literacy. Now featuring age-appropriate activities, more case studies and examples, and further reading suggestions, this is a must-read book when helping children to thrive.

Long description:

Children flourish in their development and learning when practitioners and parents work together. Childrens' development and learning are further enhanced when interconnected knowledge and understanding work together.

In this new edition the authors guide readers in understanding of child development. They highlight the need for those who work with young children to become reflective practitioners. Through a focus on the introduction of nursery rhymes, finger rhymes, action songs and poetry cards, the authors provide a gentle, child-friendly way to develop literacy 0-7.

Thoroughly revised and updated, this book includes:

- Case studies and examples

- Discussion of the primary framework

- Inclusion of schools as an educational setting

- Age-appropriate activities

- Further reading suggestions at the end of each chapter

This book is useful for teachers, practitioners, teaching assistants and childminders and for anyone working with children from birth to seven years in nursery and primary schools, children's centres, foundation units, and at home.

Tina Bruce is an Honorary visiting professor in Early Childhood at Roehampton University.

Jenny Spratt is Head of EYFS and Children's Centre Services for Peterborough Local Authority

'In reading this book practitioners may be able to gain a vast repertoire of activities that supports the young literate in their classroom. This practical guide demonstrates how one might go about

teaching the vital sub-skills of emergent literacy development in authentic and purposeful ways'
-Andrew Sinko, Educate

'This is more than an excellent text book for early years practitioners and students, it is a delight! Tina Bruce and Jenny Spratt have managed to combine authoritative insights about language, literacy and child development with a celebration of the rich poetic resources of the English language. The authors explain the essentials of literacy in terms of children's earliest experiences of human relationships and communication, physical movement, symbol making and using, play, conversations, the sounds and rhythms of language and high well-being. Bruce and Spratt go on to describe a rich resource of time-honoured traditional material that is just waiting to be used in language play and experimentation and literacy learning and teaching. This celebration of action songs, finger rhymes, nursery rhymes, stories and poetry and the provision of carefully annotated photographs make this a very special book. The text empowers practitioners (and the children they nurture and teach) as it explains the complexity of literacy learning, clarifies linguistic technical jargon and emphasises the joy and creativity of good literacy learning experiences. This is a book to keep close to hand and it is the perfect antidote to the misguided notion that 'reading is simple'!' -
Marian Whitehead

Table of Contents:

Introducing the Essentials of Communication, Language and Literacy
Observing Children in an Enabling Environment
Parent/Baby Songs
Finger Rhymes
Mark-Making and Writing
Action Songs: On the Spot
Action Songs: Moving around
Nursery Rhymes
Poetry Cards: Mapping Sounds onto Letters