ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book focuses on the language and literacy development of children from a variety of ethnic, cultural and language backgrounds, from the earliest stages up to and including National Curriculum Key Stage One. It addresses of relevant organisations and journals, and non-book resources, which present a positive attitude towards differences in race, language and culture. Learning to read, listening to stories, being involved in oral language in the classroom, all demand active participation from children. Assessment of the language abilities of young children is often difficult for the teacher, even when their first language is English. For bilingual children, the problem is inevitably greater, and there is considerable danger that their abilities will not be recognised and they will be regarded as low achievers.
