Section One: Language development: emerging literacy in the young child. Beginnings of communication -- The tasks of the toddler -- Preschool years. Section Two. Language and literacy programs: recognizing diverse needs and goals. Understanding differences -- Achieving language and literacy goals through program planning -- Promoting language and literacy -- Developing listening skills. Section Three. Literature and other language arts areas. Children and books -- Storytelling -- Poetry. Section Four. The growth of speech and expression. Language growth through flannel boards, puppetry and dramatization -- Realizing speaker goals -- Group times.Section Five. Writing and reading: natural companions - Print : early knowledge and emerging interest -- Reading and preschoolers. Section Six. School and home: environments, family and partnerships -- Developing a literacy environment -- The family-center partnership.