Programme 353, Early Years Literacy (13-2-19)

Presented and produced by Seán Delaney

Theme tune by David Vesey

The guest on this week's programme is Dr. Tara Concannon Gibney who is an assistant professor in Dublin City University. The interview is to mark the launch of Tara's new book Teaching Essential Literacy Skills in the Early Years Classroom: A Guide for Students and Teachers, which is published by Routledge. Among the topics we discuss this week are the following:

Why she wrote the book
Phonological awareness and how to develop it using games
Using big books to teach literacy (e.g. Owl Babies)
How to teach phonics
Sequence for teaching phonics
Developing fluency
Teaching concepts of print
Tier 2 vocabulary
Comprehension strategies – Gradual release of responsibility model
High frequency – Dolch - words
Guided reading literacy centres
Role of play in developing language and literacy