Implementing Ladders to Literacy

The main purpose of the Ladders to Literacy curriculum is to illustrate how learning about literacy and language is an integral part of daily life at home, at school, and in the community. It provides guidelines and suggestions for teaching a variety of early literacy and language skills across a broad range of situations and tasks (e.g., from quiet book activities to active physical motor games). Activities should be easy for teachers to implement within the context of their daily classroom routines.

Although the activities lend themselves to teaching a broad range of early literacy and language skills, each activity has been assigned to one primary area (print/book awareness, metalinguistic awareness, or oral language), and teachers are recommended to focus on teaching skills in the designated primary area. Given the range of ages and abilities in inclusive and special education preschool settings, teachers often need to address multiple educational goals within a single activity.

Within the primary area (e.g., print/book awareness), recommendations are provided for teaching children with different needs concepts and behaviors that are developmentally appropriate to their individual levels. While reading a storybook, for example, one child can be taught to identify letters, another can sight-read familiar words, and a third can learn to label pictures. For each level, scaffolding or teaching strategies to facilitate the individual goals are suggested.

The physical context in which activities take place is an important factor for the successful implementation of the curriculum. Following are suggestions for arranging the classroom environment to maximize opportunities for children to experience and learn about literacy.

(Notari-Skyverson, A., O'Connor, R.E., & Vadasy, P.F. (1998). Ladders to Literacy: A Preschool Activity Book. (p. 35). Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. (#3173; $49.95); toll-free telephone: 1-800-638-3775; fax: 410-337-8539; web site: www.brookespublishing.com)