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