Developing Early Comprehension: Laying the Foundation for Reading Success

How does early comprehension develop in young children, and how can we better prepare preschoolers to become successful readers? This important volume compiles today's best research on the often-overlooked topic of prereader comprehension: what we know about it now, and what we need to know to build a stronger foundation for children's future reading skills. More than two dozen literacy experts clearly describe theoretical models of early comprehension, demystify current research, recommend effective practices for boosting comprehension, and identify critical research priorities for the near future. An essential text and reference for reading specialists, program administrators, SLPs, preservice professionals, and researchers, this volume is key to helping children develop the early comprehension skills that support later reading success.

KEY TOPICS COVERED:

• the importance of teaching all young children comprehension strategies
• connections between vocabulary development and listening comprehension
• the relationship of academic talk to reading comprehension
• how social pretend play helps children cultivate skills essential for comprehension
• development of executive function skills important for academic success assessment of comprehension skills in prereaders
• how young children become literate in a digital society
• the benefits of using academic talk and informational texts in pre-K classrooms
• ways to support early comprehension for multilingual students and those with special needs
• parents’ and teachers' complementary roles in developing children's comprehension

See how this product helps strengthen Head Start program quality and school readiness.

Andrea DeBruin-Parecki was nationally recognized for her work in the field of family literacy. She developed the Adult–Child Interactive Reading Inventory (ACIRI), a reliable and valid tool that measures the interactive reading skills of an adult and a child during storybook reading (available from Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.). She designed family literacy programs and has acted as a consultant across the country. In addition to the ACIRI, she created the Early Literacy Skills Assessment, a comprehensive, reliable, and valid tool in the form of a children's storybook that measures phonological awareness, the alphabetic principle, comprehension, and concepts about print. She had expertise in the areas of emergent literacy, assessment, literacy within at-risk and minority populations, and the motivation of at-risk populations. She was a Fulbright Senior Specialist in Guatemala. Her work related to literacy development in young children and families has been published and presented at national, regional, and state conferences.

Dr. van Kleeck's research focuses on language and emerging literacy skills in children who are language impaired as well as the broader group of children who are at risk academically. Some specific areas of interests include (a) parents’ language socialization processes in the home that provide their young children with foundations for later literacy and academic success, and (b) issues related to language assessment in the preschool population. Her most recent work focuses on what she refers to as the academic talk register in preschoolers, and it’s importance to later academic achievement. Dr. van Kleeck’s previous publications include several edited books, nearly 50 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 25 book chapters. She has given several hundred invited and peer-reviewed presentations nationally and internationally.

Dr. Gear teaches special education core courses: educational and diagnostic assessment, instructional methods, individual education programming, directed field experience, collaboration, and transitions. Before teaching at ODU, she taught diverse learners in grades PreK-12th, general and special education in public school, treatment programs, home-based instruction, as well as adult basic education. She has authored and co-authored book chapters and articles; presented at international, national, and regional conferences; is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, including special interest divisions, and a member of the National Head Start Association. She is a reviewer for the National Head Start Association Dialog. She is a contributing author and researcher for the Virginia Early Childhood Policy Center, and the Teacher Immersion Residency Program at ODU. Her research goals include teacher and parent education to improve outcomes for children with disabilities.

Susan B. Neuman, Ed.D., is a professor in educational studies specializing in early literacy development. Previously, she directed the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. Her research and teaching interests include early childhood policy, curriculum, and early reading instruction from prekindergarten to Grade 3. In her role as Assistant Secretary, she established the Reading First program and the Early Reading First program and was responsible for the implementation of all activities in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Act.

Dr. Barrueco is Assistant Professor of Psychology and Fellow of the Institute for Policy Research & Catholic Studies at The Catholic University of America. Dr. Barrueco specializes in the prevention and early intervention of developmental difficulties, particularly among language-minority, immigrant, and migrant children. Much of her grant-funded research has focused on early bilingual, socioemotional, and acculturative processes within the Latino community.

Throughout her training and career, Dr. Barrueco has been dedicated to learning and utilizing advanced statistics to advance scientific knowledge and practice with young immigrant children and families. This approach is rooted in a community-based participatory research framework involving strong collaborations with families and the local and national programs that serve them. This is reflected in her involvement in local and national studies with Head Start, Early Head Start, and Migrant and Seasonal Head Start as well as her appointments as Board Vice Chair of the DC Bilingual Public Charter School and on the Advisory Committee of the American Psychological Association Presidential Task Force on Immigration.

Michael D. Coyne, Ph.D., Professor, Special Education Program, Department of Educational Psychology, Neag School of Education, Unit 3064, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269.

Michael Coyne is a professor of special education in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He is also a research scientist at the Center for Behavioral Education and Research. His research focuses on beginning reading and early vocabulary instruction and intervention, school-based experimental research, multitiered or response to intervention systems of support, and effective practices for students with learning disabilities.

David K. Dickinson, Ed.D., Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives and Margaret Cowan Chair of Education, Peabody College of Education, Vanderbilt University, PMB 230, 230 Appleton Place, Nashville, Tennessee 37203-5721

David K. Dickinson received his doctorate from Harvard University's Graduate School of Education after teaching elementary school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while earning his master’s degree at Temple University. For over 30 years, he has studied early language and literacy development among children from low-income backgrounds. Using observational and intervention research, he has sought to understand factors that foster short- and long-term development of language and reading comprehension and to improve the quality of support children receive. He has co-authored the widely used preschool curriculum, Opening the World of Learning (OWL), co-authored three volumes of The Handbook of Early Literacy Research, authored or co-authored over 100 peer review articles and spoken to practitioner and research audiences around the world.

Dr. Duke is a professor of literacy, language, and culture and faculty affiliate in the combined program in education and psychology at the University of Michigan and a member of the International Reading Association Literacy Research Panel. Dr. Duke's work focuses on early literacy development, particularly among children living in poverty. Her publications include Literacy and the Youngest Learner: Best Practices for Educators of Children from Birth to Five (Scholastic, 2005); Beyond Bedtime Stories: A Parent's Guide to Promoting Reading, Writing, and Other Literacy Skills from Birth to 5 (Scholastic, 2014); and The ABCs of Emergent Literacy (Scholastic, 2012).

Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, Ph.D., is the Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor in the School of Education (and Psychological and Brain Sciences and Linguistics and Cognitive Science) at the University of Delaware. Author of more than 200 articles and 16 books (some for lay audiences), her work is focused on language development, playful learning, media for children, and early spatial knowledge. Her latest book, Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children reached the New York Times best seller list. She has won numerous awards for her research and is passionate about bringing out developmental science for use by families and schools. Routinely interviewed by radio, television, and print media, she speaks regularly to academic, policy, and lay groups, spreading the field's scientific findings.

Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Ph.D., is the Stanley and Debra Lefkowitz Faculty Fellow in the Department of Psychology at Temple University and a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Her research examines the development of early language and literacy as well as the role of play in learning. Author of 14 books and hundreds of publications in the areas of language development, early education, playful learning, and spatial learning, she is a recipient of numerous awards for contributions to the field of child development. She writes regularly for The Brookings Blog and The Huffington Post

and travels the world speaking to professional and lay audiences.