Understanding “Academic Language” in Early Childhood Teacher Preparation: The Journey From Standards to Practice

• In Event: Early Childhood Teacher Preparation and Professional Development

Abstract

Professional accreditation standards and many state evaluation systems for early childhood teacher education, such as edTPA, require candidates demonstrate a mastery of “academic language” (NAEYC, 2010; www.edtpa.aacte.org; www.nysed.gov), as called for in the Common Core State Standards (www.corestandards.org). This paper reports on (a) a discourse analysis (Gee, 1999) of representative documents to construct a contemporary understanding of academic language in the field early childhood teacher education and (b) findings from an instrumental-collective case study (Stake, 1995) of how academic language is construed and operationalized by faculty and candidates in an urban early childhood teacher education program in preparation for edTPA. Implications are discussed.

Authors

• Patsy Cooper, Queens Colelge, City University of New York

• Sara C. Michael-Luna, Queens College - CUNY