This text is about teaching the language arts and facilitating children's reading, writing, speaking, and listening development between the ages of 2 and 5. Based on social constructivist theory, Helping Young Children Learn Language and Literacy provides realistic and direct connections between theory and practice through the use of case studies, trade secrets, and special features. The underlying principle in this text is that children are at the center of all good language and literacy teaching. This principle underlies the three themes that run through this book: a constructivist perspective on learning, respect for diversity, and instruction-based assessment.