Overarching Principles
These principles should be kept in mind at all times when thinking about preschool
curriculum and working with young children.
1.
All children are capable of learning
2.
Children show individual differences in development
3.
Knowledge of child growth and development is essential for program
development and implementation
4.
Children’s language skills are the best indicators of academic success
5.
Developmental domains are highly interrelated
6.
Young children learn by doing
7.
Families are the primary caregivers and educators of their young children
Overview of the English Language
Arts Preschool Learning Experiences

Language

Reading and Literature

Composition
Review the Overview of English Language Arts document
before continuing this module.
Language 1
1. Observe and use appropriate ways of
interacting in a group (taking turns in
talking; listening to peers; waiting until
someone is finished; asking questions and
waiting for an answer; gaining the floor
in appropriate ways).
Listening and turn taking activities
•Circle time discussions
•Games and puzzles
•Show and Tell
•Story time with Q & A
•Talking stick or toy
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3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
Language 2
2. Participate actively in discussions, listen to the ideas of others, and
ask and answer relevant questions.
Literal Question Starters
Inferential Question Starters
Who did you see? Who did
you read about?
Why did you do it? Why do
you think that happened?
What happened?
What will happen next?
Where did it happen?
What if this (specific event)
happened?
When did you do it?
Describe in your own words.
Language 3
3. Communicate personal experiences or interests
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Language 4
4. Engage in play experiences that involve naming and sorting common words
into various classifications using general and specific language.
Language 5
5. Listen to and use formal and informal language.
Resources for multicultural literature
http://www.multiculturalchildrenslit.com/
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/books
/detailListBooks.asp?idBookLists=42
http://www.corwin.com/books/Book228880
Humpty Dumpty Video
Reading and Literature 6
6. Listen to a wide variety of age
appropriate literature read aloud.
I can read! video
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Reading and Literature 7
7. Develop familiarity with the forms of alphabet letters, awareness of print,
and letter forms.
Concepts About Print
Where to begin writing or reading, Concept of a letter, word, sentence
going from left to right
Where to go after the end of the
line (return sweep)
Concept of first and last part (of
the word, sentence, story)
The print, not the picture, carries
the message
Letter order in words is important
Word by word pointing (one-toone correspondence
There are first and last letters in
words
Upper and lower case letters have
purpose
Different punctuation marks have
meaning
Reading and Literature 8
8. Listen to, identify, and
manipulate language sounds to
develop auditory discrimination
and phonemic awareness.
Phonological and Phonemic
Awareness Video
Reading and Literature 9
9. Link letters with sounds in play
activities.
B for ball –ba, ba ,ba, ba
Name Cards video
Reading and Literature 10
10. Engage actively in read-aloud
activities by asking questions,
offering ideas, predicting or
retelling important parts of a story
or informational book.
READING COMPREHENSION
STRATEGIES

Making Connections

Creating Mental Images
(Visualizing)

Questioning

Inferring

Evaluating (Determining
Importance)

Synthesizing
Reading and Literature 11
11. Listen to several books by the
same author or using the same
illustrator.
Preschool Authors Information
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Reading and Literature 12
12. Listen to, recite, sing, and
dramatize a variety of ageappropriate literature.
Transition Time Video
Image courtesy of U.S. Army (http://www.army.mil/images/2009/09/10/50246/army.mil-50246-2009-09-10130924.jpg)
Reading and Literature 13
13. Relate themes and information in books to personal experiences.
Themes
Books
Activities
Winter
The Mitten by Jan Brett
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack
Keats
Playing in the Snow
Dressing to go out in
the cold
Activities to do in the
winter
Trains
The Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper
Freight Train by Donald Crews
Visiting a train station
or train yard
Playing with trains in
the block area
Parents who ride trains
to work
Reading and Literature 14
14. Recognize and supply rhythm
and rhyme in poetry.
Peter Piper Poem
Hickory Dickory Dock
Poem
Hot Cross Buns
Poem
Reading and Literature 15
15. Listen to, recognize, and use a
broad vocabulary of sensory words.
Descriptive Language Video
soft
Aliki. (1989). My Five Senses. New York:
Harper Collins Publishers.
hard
sticky
prickly
gooey
rough
scratchy
fluffy
smooth
Composition 16
16. Use their own words or
illustrations to describe their
experiences, tell imaginative
stories, or communicate
information about a topic of
interest.
Composition 17
17. Add details or make changes
to published or class-made
stories.
Class Made Book Video
Composition 18
18. Use emergent writing skills to
make letters in many settings and
for many purposes.
Signing In Video
Emergent Writing Activities
Writing in sand, water, finger paint
Greeting cards, grocery lists, recipes
Dry-erase boards, alphabet tiles,
crayons, markers, books
Composition 19
19. Arrange events in order
when dictating a story.
• First this happened
Beginning • Who, What, Where
Storytelling Video
Middle
End
• Then this happened
• Problem in the story
• Finally this happened
• How the problem was
resolved
Composition 20
20. Generate questions and gather
information to answer their
questions in various ways.
Billy Goats Gruff Lesson Ideas
Next Steps

Read the articles included below that support why these
standards are being taught and the best ways to teach
them.

Look over the ELA scope and sequence checklist and
inventory for meeting ELA standards and keeping track of
how you meet them. This is also a tool that can be used to
plan progress monitoring for students.

Complete the ELA module quiz.

Complete and turn in your ELA module assignment via
Blackboard.
Congratulations!! You have completed the English Language
Arts Module.