This volume helps understand the power and complexity of the forces in the lives of children that impact their literacy learning. The critical issues presented emerge from interpretivist research and thinking practices that are constructivist in nature. --From publisher's description.

Caribbean Childhoods: From Research to Action is an annual publication produced by the Children s Issues Coalition at the University of the West Indies, Mona. The series seeks to provide an avenue for the dissemination of research and experiences on children s health, development, behaviour and education, and to provide a forum for the discussion of these issues.

What are today's best practices in early literacy instruction--and what should schools and programs focus on in the future? More than 20 of the biggest names in early literacy research give you balanced, insightful answers, using the landmark NELP

Bringing together prominent scholars, this book shows how 21st-century research and theory can inform everyday instructional practices in early childhood classrooms (PreK-3). Coverage includes foundational topics such as alphabet learning, phonological awareness, oral language development, and learning to write, as well as cutting-edge topics such as digital literacy, informational texts, and response to intervention. Every chapter features guiding questions; an overview of ideas and findings on the topic at hand; specific suggestions for improving instruction, assessment, and/or the classroom environment; and an engrossing example of the practices in action.

What are some of the long held bellefs in early childhood education that need to be challenged? What can postmodern perspectives offer to early childhood educators? How can early childhood educators deal with the complex issues that arise in the lives of young children? This book examines critical issues in early childhood education across a broad range of contexts. The issues explored are critical not only in terms of being fundamental to early childhood education, but also in that they present ideas and use frameworks which are not traditional to the field. The topics under review include questioning the developmental basis of early childhood education and the notion of what constitutes child-centred curricula, and extends into a discussion of the complex nature of teacher's work in early childhood contexts which require new ways of reconceptualising the field and the role of the teacher in the lives of children.; The chapters explore contemporary issues using methodologies that are increasingly being favoured by teacher educators, parents and community members who find that developmental perspectives do not satisfactorily explain and assist us in our interactions with young children and their families in the 21st century.

This book addresses questions of how early literacy instruction can meet children's diverse needs and provide essential skills. The focus is on issues of theory and practice for children ages 2 to 8 in prekindergarten through third grade. Each chapter examines and describes practices surrounding a critical issue in early literacy. Chapters in the book are: (1) "How Can We Enable All Children To Achieve?" (Susan B. Neuman); (2) "What Is Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Literacy?: Considering the Alphabet" (Judith A. Schickedanz); (3) "'I No EvrethENGe': What Skills Are Essential in Early Literacy?" (Beth Roberts); (4) "How Do We Teach Literacy to Children Who Are Learning English as a Second Language?" (Diane Barone); (5) "How Do We Provide Inclusive Early Literacy Instruction for Children with Disabilities?" (David A. Koppenhaver, Stephanie A. Spadorcia, and Karen A. Erickson); (6) "How Can We Provide for Culturally Responsive Instruction in Literacy?" (Patricia A. Edwards and Heather M. Pleasants); (7) "How Can We Foster Children's Early Literacy Development through Parent Involvement?" (Peter Hannon); (8) "How Do We Motivate Children toward Independent Reading and Writing?" (Lesley Mandel Morrow and Linda B. Gambrell); (9) "How Do We Teach Literature to Young Children?" (Lea M. McGee); (10) "What Is the Role of Computer-Related Technology in Early Literacy?" (Linda D. Labbo and Gwynne Ellen Ash); (11) "How Do We Foster Young Children's Writing Development?" (Renee M. Casbergue); (12) "How Do We Assess Young Children's Literacy Learning?" (Terry Salinger); and (13) "How Do Practicing Teachers Grow and Learn as Professionals?" (Kathleen A. Roskos and Carol Vukelich). An appendix presents descriptions of more than 150 learning resources for young writers and readers. Each chapter contains references. (EF)

The field of early literacy has seen significant recent advances in theory, research, and practice. These volumes bring together leading authorities to report on current findings, integrate insights from different disciplinary perspectives, and explore ways to provide children with the strongest possible literacy foundations in the first 6 years of life. The Handbook first addresses broad questions about the nature of emergent literacy, summarizing current knowledge on cognitive pathways, biological underpinnings, and the importance of cultural contexts. Chapters in subsequent sections examine various strands of knowledge and skills that emerge as children become literate, as well as the role played by experiences with peers and families. Particular attention is devoted to the challenges involved in making schools work for all children, including members of linguistic and ethnic minority groups and children living in poverty. Finally, approaches to instruction, assessment, and early intervention are described, and up-to-date research on their effectiveness is presented.

Current research increasingly highlights the role of early literacy in young children's development--and facilitates the growth of practices and policies that promote success among diverse learners. The Handbook of Early Literacy Research presents cutting-edge knowledge on all aspects of literacy learning in the preschool years. Volume 1 covers such essential topics as major theories of early literacy; writing development; understanding learning disabilities, including early intervention approaches; cultural and socioeconomic contexts of literacy development; and tutoring programs and other special intervention efforts.

This book shares the author’s transformative journey as a literacy teacher/researcher examining her experience as a White, middle-class female. Kuby argues that it is not enough for teachers to implement curricula and pedagogical strategies designed to foster inclusiveness. Instead, teachers must look inward, questioning their personal histories, biases, and beliefs in order to develop better self-awareness. In this book, Kuby reflects on how her self-interrogation shaped her interactions with 5- and 6-year-olds and influenced her critical literacy teaching. “If we wish to create an enlightened citizenry, critical literacy needs to begin on the very first day of the first year of schooling.” —Jerome C. Harste, professor emeritus, Indiana University “What Candace shows us is that critical literacy is for all children and that critical literacies are ways of being that cut across time and space and move beyond the four walls of the classroom and beyond the ‘regular’ school year.” —From the Foreword by Vivian M. Vasquez, American University, Washington DC “In this very thought-provoking book, Candace Kuby uses both her own struggle with White privilege, and that of her students, to demonstrate the importance of cultivating critical consciousness through and in literacy even with those who are very young. Equity and justice for all can only be attained by practicing critical pedagogy for and with all children.” —Gaile Cannella, School of Social Transformation, Arizona State University

While most children learn to read fairly well, there remain many young Americans whose futures are imperiled because they do not read well enough to meet the demands of our competitive, technology-driven society. This book explores the problem within the context of social, historical, cultural, and biological factors. Recommendations address the identification of groups of children at risk, effective instruction for the preschool and early grades, effective approaches to dialects and bilingualism, the importance of these findings for the professional development of teachers, and gaps that remain in our understanding of how children learn to read. Implications for parents, teachers, schools, communities, the media, and government at all levels are discussed. The book examines the epidemiology of reading problems and introduces the concepts used by experts in the field. In a clear and readable narrative, word identification, comprehension, and other processes in normal reading development are discussed. Against the background of normal progress, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children examines factors that put children at risk of poor reading. It explores in detail how literacy can be fostered from birth through kindergarten and the primary grades, including evaluation of philosophies, systems, and materials commonly used to teach reading.