Literacy Timeline

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    Jean-Jacques Rosseau

    In his work Émile, Rosseau recommended that a child’s early education be natural. He set the foundation of children only learning when they are developmentally ready.
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    Johann Henrich Pestalozzi

    He developed principles for learning that combined natural elements with informal instructions; found it unrealistic to expect children to learn to read completely on their own
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    Friedrich Wilhelm August Froebel

    Followed Pestalozzi’s ideas by finding it most effective to follow children’s development. He also stressed the importance of children gaining the benefits of the importance of play in learning.
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    "Reading Readiness"

    The term reading readiness became popular as skills were developed to help form children into becoming readers: auditory discrimination, visual discrimination, visual motor skills, and large motor skills
  • Morphett and Washburne

    Their research found that children who were developmentally 6 years and 6 months were old enough for reading instruction.
  • The Research Era

    The research era begins with researchers investigating early childhood literacy development. Researchers looked at the cognitive development by using case studies, video tapes, interviews, treatment and control groups, and correlational research.
  • Programmed Reading Series

    Sullivan and Buchanan created this series based on the behaviorist theory.
  • Maria Montessori

    Montessori believed that children needed early, orderly, systematic training in order to master skills. With the use of materials, Montessori found that children could determine their errors and make corrections. She also heavily used the influence of their five senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. She had influence from the behaviorist theory.
  • John Dewey

    Led the concept of progressive education, child-centered curriculum. He strongly believed that curriculum should be built around the interests of children and that children learn through play in real-life settings.
  • Marie Clay

    She developed the terminology of emergent literacy. This perspective exposes children to books early in child-centered approaches where social interaction and problem solving is emphasized.
  • DISTAR: Direct Instruction System for Teaching Arithmetic and Reading

    Engelmann and Bruner created DISTST based on the behaviorist theory.
  • Jean Piaget

    Theory of cognitive development describes the intellectual capabilities of children through their different stages of cognitive development: sensorimotor period, preoperational period, concrete operational period, and formal operations period. Piaget believed that a child acquires knowledge by interacting with the world. He applied his theories to involve children in natural problem-solving situations where they learn through assimilation, accommodation, and cognitive activities.
  • Lev S. Vygostsky

    Vygotsky’s theory suggests that learning occurs as children acquire new concepts, also known as schema. New concepts are required as children interact with others who provide feedback on their thoughts.
  • The Research Era

    The research era ends. This research helped show how strong of an impact reading and writing had on educators understanding of the processes involved in becoming literate, how children learn, and how to teach initial reading and writing.
  • Connie Juel

    Understood that as children begin to experiment with reading and writing, they need to focus on the sounds the words made. Juel realized the importance of phonics in students learning by phonological awareness and phonemic awareness.
  • Position Statement: Using Multiple Methods of Beginning Reading Instruction

    The International Literacy Association wrote Position Statement, which suggests that no single method or single combination of methods can successfully teach all children to read. It emphasized that teachers must be well versed on the various processes involved and methods for reading instruction.
  • Balanced Comprehensive Approach

    No single method or single combination of methods can teach all children to read.
  • National Reading Panel

    Evidence based research and public policy found that with literacy phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency are necessary.
  • No Child Left Behind Act

    This act puts into place numerous funded education programs through reading first grants and money from the federal government.
  • National Early Literacy Panel Report

    Evidence based research and public policy determined curriculum necessary for elementary education: phonological awareness, concepts about print, produce and comprehend spoken language, etc.
  • Common Core Standards

    Beginning in 2002, common core standards began developing. Although, many states have developed their own standards and state testing.
  • Read to Succeed

    Act 284, was created to address literacy performance in South Carolina and put into place a comprehensive system to support students by helping them graduate on time with literacy skills needed to be successful. All students proficient readers by the end of third grade.
  • Citations

    • Morrow, L. M. (1989). Literacy development in the early years: Helping children read and write. Englewood Cliffs, N.J: Prentice Hall.
    • Manhoff, R. (2021). Foundations of Early Literacy from Past to Present. Spadoni College of Education, Coastal Carolina University.

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