Language for Curriculum Leaders

The development of language, in all its aspects, has always been a perceived priority in the primary school.

Primary teachers have always given a great deal of attention to teaching children to read and write and these abilities, as well as spoken language, are essential for the effective learning in every other area of the primary curriculum.

Language is given attention as a learning area in its own right and also as the medium through which all learning takes place.

This book looks at aspects of language teaching in primary schools. Perhaps more than any other area it has been subject to constant revisions in terms of the insights which effective primary teachers need to have.

Major developments in the last decade include: an enhanced awareness of the ways in which children become readers and the importance of exciting reading material in children, interest in the early literacy interest of children, interest in the importance of narrative and story, interest in the nature and teaching of the writing process, developments in the understanding of the importance of talk in learning and the involvement of parents and the use of computers.

All of the afore mentioned aspects of language are examined in this book as are the concepts of "speaking and listening", "reading" and "writing".