A Prekindergarten Teacher's Beliefs: Language and Early Literacy Skills for Children with Speech Delays

During this exploratory case study, the researcher investigated a prekindergarten teacher's beliefs in language and early literacy skills for children with speech delays. Children with speech delays unable to reach crucial milestones at the same rate as their typically developing peers are at risk for difficulty in holistic literacy growth. Selected through criterion and intensive sampling procedures: the participant completed a three-tiered set of surveys followed by classroom observations, field notes and interviews. Mrs. Tammy's (pseudonym) beliefs transferred to Literacy Beliefs into Practice and Creating Classroom Community to support her students not reaching developmental milestones in speech and language. Mrs. Tammy's beliefs enabled her students the opportunities to develop in their five components of language: phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, and pragmatics. Despite the depth of research in teacher's beliefs influencing developmentally appropriate practice in the classroom; teacher's beliefs working with children with disabilities requires further investigation.