Xiao-lei Wang - Understanding Language and Literacy Development: Diverse Learners in the Classroom

This edition first published 2015
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available for this book.

ISBN 9780470674291 (hardback); ISBN: 9780470674307 (papberback)

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Cover image: Study group sturti /iStockphoto; Girl reading Aaraujo /Shutterstock; Mother and baby Evgeny Atamanenko /Shutterstock; School boy using tablet PC michaeljung / Shutterstock

I credit the existence of this book to Danielle Descoteaux, the senior acquisitions editor of psychology and linguistics of Wiley Blackwell. I received an email from Danielle on November 16, 2010, asking whether I was interested in writing a book related to language development. This invitation has turned out to be a great opportunity for me to produce a book that is much needed for preparing preservice teachers to meet the Common Core State Standards and edTPA requirements in teacher education programs. Danielle, thank you!

Working with the staff at Wiley Blackwell has truly been a pleasure. I would particularly like to thank Julia Kirk, the senior project editor, for your patience, constant help, and support in the writing process. Julia has never failed to check upon my progress. Julia, it is thanks to you that I was able to complete the book on time.

The input of the anonymous reviewers helped the book find its shape. For example, the idea of putting the theories at the end of the book instead of at the beginning was proposed by one of the reviewers. The reviewers have also provided valuable suggestions for the revision of the book. I am deeply indebted to you for your guidance.

I also would like to thank Dean Andrea Spencer of the School of Education at Pace University for granting me a semester of sabbatical leave and the Pace Kenan Scholarly Research Committee for granting me a course release to work on the book. Without your generous support, I would not have been able to find the time to write this book.

My ED 650 students in the 2013 spring semesters and ED 632 and TCH 452 students in the 2013 fall semesters have graciously experimented with the book drafts. Your feedback about the book has been most helpful. I would like to thank in particular Amelia Nelson, Shannon Melissa Summers, Keisey Igo, Amanda Eisner, Theresa Connelly, Danielle Frasca, Danielle Rodriguez, Mellissa Silva, Nora Rugova, and Alex Lengers for contributing your language samples.

I would like to express my appreciation to several of my present and past graduate assistants for helping me with the book at its different stages: Amanda Albano, Theresa Connelly, Jennifer Argenta, Deborah Hurdis, and Courtney Klein. Without your hard work, some tedious but important jobs simply could not have been accomplished.

Last, but not least, my gratitude goes to my husband, Philippe, and sons, Landre and Dominique, for your moral support and humor. You always help me find meaning in what I do!

This book is accompanied by a companion website:

• www.wiley.com/go/wang/langandlit

This website includes:

For Instructors

• Powerpoint slides for each chapter
• Sample Syllabus
• Suggested key activities

For Students

• A Summary of the Common Core K-12 Key Language And Literacy Standards

This book is about the language and literacy developmental characteristics of children and adolescents with different abilities. Especially, this book is about how to use effective supporting strategies in classroom settings to help all students learn across subject contents. Some of you may be eager to find out what is in it, whereas others would not have touched the book if it were not a course requirement. To those of you who are not so enthusiastic about the topic of language and literacy development and believe that it is seemingly unrelated to the subject area that you are teaching or plan to teach, I would like you to meet Peter, a new math teacher in Herald High School (see Box 0.1). I hope that the challenges he encountered will convince you to give this book a real try.

Peter had looked forward to meeting his ninth-grade students in Herald High School since he was offered a teaching position in June. During the summer, he carefully studied the topics in the geometry textbook and prepared detailed lesson plans for the whole year. By the end of August, Peter was certain that he was more than ready to teach geometry! Indeed, Peter had all the reason to be confident; he received his Master's degree from a reputable teacher education program, had successfully completed his student teaching in a local high school, and was well prepared for the ninth-grade geometry content.

On the first day of school in September, Peter was excited. He put on his new outfit and headed for the school. While driving to school, he mentally went over what he had prepared to do in his first geometry class.

When Peter entered his second period geometry class, 23 students eagerly checked him out with their curious eyes. Peter briefly introduced himself and began the class with a quiz to find out how well the students understood basic geometry concepts. While the students were completing the quiz, he noticed that some of them were staring at the quiz and appeared to be struggling. He approached one student and asked whether he needed any help. The young man told him that he did not understand what they were asked to do and he did not understand the problems in the quiz. Peter rephrased the quiz problems several times. However, the student showed no signs of understanding. Several other students in the class were also experiencing the same difficulty. Peter quickly collected the quiz and went on with the lesson he had planned. Thirty minutes into teaching, Peter was surprised to notice that some students seemed to have difficulties understanding what was written in the handouts. He was frustrated that he was not able to get through to his students with what he had planned.