Language, Literacy, and Learning: Theory and Application

Language, Literacy, and Learning: Theory and Application is an academic textbook for graduate students studying speech-language pathology and a useful clinical resource for practicing speech-language pathologists (SLPs). This text explores how aspects of orthography and word learning relate to speech production and reading comprehension in children and adults with typical development or language learning differences. It is essential that SLPs assess and treat language and literacy skills in their clients. This text is uniquely designed to help SLPs build their own skillsets in facilitating the development of the literacy skills that are crucial for navigating educational, vocational, and recreational experiences.

This evidence-based resource includes clinical examples to support chapter information, with a focus on the science of reading and writing, typical and exceptional reading and writing development, and assessments and interventions for individuals with reading and writing differences. The author uses a student-friendly writing style that promotes learning at various levels of thinking: remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating. 

Key Features

•  An overview of current and influential theoretical models, the research supporting these models, and the evidence challenging each model
• Detailed table of current published and standardized reading assessments for children, adolescents, and adults
• Chapters featuring interviews with family members or teachers of individuals who have had experience with reading differences
• Highlights of the accessibility and cultural implications of the presented information
• Supplementary activities for instructors to conduct in class to support learning

Language, Literacy, and Learning: Theory and Application is also a useful resource for special education teachers who work with students experiencing reading differences.

Foreword

"When Meredith told me she was writing this book, I rejoiced. Language development in young children is a miraculous human feat. Only learning to read rivals it. There is a critical need to clearly describe these complex processing and how they are fundamentally linked. Meredith does just that in this book. She succinctly and thoroughly synthesizes decades of research and practice on the language-basis of reading. What makes the book unique is her marriage of academic and clinical knowledge and the breadth and depth of topics. Meredith covers the history of reading and writing through the neurobiology through evidence-based practice around both reading and writing and both expression and comprehension. ...This book will become a staple of graduate education and clinical practice across many disciplines."
—Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP, Director of the SAiL Literacy Lab; Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions

Video: Dr. Meredith Saletta Fitzgibbons Discusses Language, Literacy, and Learning

On the Plural blog: Exceptional Reading: Speech-Language Pathologists Can Make an Impact by Dr. Meredith Saletta Fitzgibbons.

Reviews

"Language, Literacy, and Learning: Theory and Application stands out for its extensive exploration of a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from the fundamentals of literacy and the neurobiology of reading and writing, to the specific challenges posed by various disabilities such as IDD, developmental dyslexia, and other reading differences. The book’s inclusion of cultural considerations adds a valuable dimension to its content, making it a significant resource for a diverse readership. The manner in which the material is presented—clear, coherent, and logically structured—renders it accessible to readers of different expertise levels."

– Yufei Ren and Gang Cui, Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Tsinghua University,
Beijing, China

Foreword by Tiffany P. Hogan
Preface
Reviewers
 

Chapter 1. From Decorated Rocks to Dyslexia Research: The Evolution of Reading and Writing

Chapter 2. The View From a Mountain Road: The Neurobiology and Neurophysiology of Reading and Writing

Chapter 3. “Never the Same Again:” The Phenomenon of Orthographic Interference

Chapter 4. “I Call ‘Em as I See ‘Em:” How Reading Interacts With Other Language and Developmental Processes

Chapter 5. From Snapshots to Sounds to Sight Words: The Typical Development of Reading, Writing, and Spelling

Chapter 6. Exceptional Reading I: Children, Adolescents, and Adults With Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

Chapter 7. Exceptional Reading II: Children, Adolescents, and Adults With Developmental Dyslexia

Chapter 8. Exceptional Reading III: “What Color is Oakley Avenue?” and Other Reading Differences

Chapter 9. When You Are Concerned About a Child’s Reading or Writing: Overview of Assessment Techniques

Chapter 10. Putting It All Together: Tools for Teaching Reading and Writing

Index

Language, Literacy, and Learning: Theory and Application comes with access to supplementary student and instructor resources on a PluralPlus companion website.

The companion website is located at: https://www.pluralpublishing.com/publication/lllta

STUDENTS:

The student resources include Chapter Study Guides.

To access the student resources, you must register on the companion website and log in using the access code located in the front of your textbook.

INSTRUCTORS:

The instructor resources include PowerPoint Lecture Slides, Exam Questions and Answers, Study Guide Answer Key, Classroom Activities, and a Quarter/Semester Guide. You will also have access to all of the student resources listed above.

To access the instructor resources, you must contact Plural Publishing, Inc. to be verified as an instructor and receive your access code.

            Email: instructormaterials@pluralpublishing.com

            Tel: 866-758-7251 (toll free) or 858-492-1555

*Note for students: If you have purchased this textbook used or have rented it, your access code will not work if it was already redeemed by the original buyer of the book. Plural Publishing does not offer replacement access codes for used or rented textbooks.