EN 119 - Foundations of Literacy

Credit Hour(s): 3
Contact Hours: (3, 0)

This course is designed as a survey of literature written for children, grounded in research from the Science of Reading. Emphasis is placed on the selection, analysis, and comprehensive knowledge of high-quality books for children from toddler through junior high school ages. Students examine how children’s literature supports evidence-based literacy development, including oral language growth, vocabulary acquisition, background knowledge building, and reading comprehension. The course introduces practical aspects of fostering literacy development in young children through research-aligned instructional practices. It focuses on emerging and early literacy in the home, early care, and educational settings, with particular emphasis on ages three through 10. This course has an embedded lab experience in the preschool - grade 2 setting where students will apply evidence-based literacy strategies aligned with the Science of Reading.