Reviewers Rave About This Book! "I would purchase this book for all of my intervention team and it would serve as a professional text for team meetings and discussions throughout the school year. It has the potential to support what is going on at the upper grade levels in the area of literacy instruction." -Felicia Hobbs, Gibbs Magnet School, Arkansas "The uniquely positive features of this text are its relevancy to preschool and kindergarten classrooms across the country and the ease and style in which it is written." -Patricia H. Kostell, Educational Consultant, South Carolina Filled with research-based ideas for creating a supportive climate for young children while engaging them in meaningful and useful instruction, this well illustrated and user-friendly book is just what teachers need to build strong foundations in early literacy. Take a Peek into the Book: Presents specific ideas to support English Language Learners. Features a full discussion on learning climates and environments Provides information on creating an atmosphere of trust and support and an organized environment so often missing from other literacy books that focus exclusively on language and literacy. (Chapter 2) Highlights actual teaching strategies and activities that can be implemented in terms of oral language and early reading and writing development. (Chapter 3) Focuses on how to involve families as partners in the literacy development of children. (Chapter 4) Includes useful and authentic assessment strategies paired with easy-to-use and camera-ready tools to evaluate growth and development. (Chapter 5)

Preschoolers are passionate about learning, and a high-quality preschool program offers rich learning experiences in the areas of language and literacy. This engaging book gives teachers and other professionals fresh ideas, inspiration, and practical tools for integrating age-appropriate literacy instruction into the preschool curriculum. Including helpful vignettes, sample lesson plans, and reproducibles, the book shows how to create a motivating classroom environment, balance child-initiated exploration with structured activities, and support students' developing skills in reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension. Essential topics include preschool assessment and working with English language learners.

Gay Ivey and Douglas Fisher give educators practical strategies to help motivate secondary students to embrace reading, writing, listening, and speaking as essential skills for learning and thinking throughout their lives.

As your school district undertakes the process of evaluating its K–12 reading program, literacy curriculum, or literacy instructional practices, this book will be your go-to resource. Pennell offers a step-by-step guide for educators, school leaders, or professional learning communities to evaluate high-quality instructional materials and standards-aligned literacy practices. It includes a wealth of tools such as timelines, full meeting agendas, stakeholder surveys, and evaluation rubrics. Chapters cover key topics, including: Literacy leadership team meetings Reviewing foundational skills Comprehension and vocabulary Evaluating writing Selecting new materials Implementing new literacy materials Supporting educators through instructional coaching and professional learning Pennell provides a straightforward framework for how educators can work together collaboratively to analyze, reflect, and ultimately evaluate their school district’s literacy program. Each chapter is grounded in salient research on the why of literacy teaching and learning and helps you understand how instruction can be meaningfully aligned with current standards. The research and theory that support effective literacy instruction—including culturally responsive practices—are explained in an accessible and pragmatic manner. The practical tools in this book are essential for administrators and educators tasked with evaluating literacy programs and practices, as well as graduate students who must learn how to audit a literacy curriculum. Whether you’re a school administrator, teacher, or reading specialist, this book will ensure all your students can reach success in literacy.

Widely recognized as a leading text in its field, this popular guide explores literacy development beginning in infancy and through fourth grade. The latest edition continues to prepare teachers to create and implement literacy-rich curricula in early childhood classrooms, while providing updates to federal legislation and highlighting the impact of state standards on educational settings. Recent technology is integrated into activities used to enhance literacy competencies. Throughout the book, the author’s approach to reflective teaching empowers teachers to become effective decision makers and thoughtful mediators in children’s transactions with literacy. A conceptual and theoretical foundation for describing reading and writing processes is followed by research-based descriptions of the signs of emergent literacy and developmentally appropriate instructional strategies. The emphasis on linguistic and cultural diversity includes an array of approaches for supporting English language learners. Chapter extension activities challenge readers to apply concepts through observation, research, curriculum development, and discussion. Sample observation and assessment forms assist in determining children’s progress in developing literacy.

Valuable for regular use by caregivers as well as for collection development, this book spotlights hundreds of titles that are engaging and fun for reader and preschooler alike.

From understanding how the youngest children learn to working with ECE agencies, this practical guide presents the information principals need to create effective early childhood education programs.

Written expressly for preschool teachers, this engaging book explains the "whats," "whys," and "how-tos" of implementing best practices for instruction in the preschool classroom. The authors show how to target key areas of language and literacy development across the entire school day, including whole-group and small-group activities, center time, transitions, and outdoor play. Detailed examples in every chapter illustrate what effective instruction and assessment look like in three distinct settings: a school-based pre-kindergarten, a Head Start center with many English language learners, and a private suburban preschool. Helpful book lists, charts, and planning tools are featured, including reproducible materials.

Designed for teachers of 3- to 5-year-olds, this complete curriculum book focuses on how teachers can encourage, facilitate, and stimulate children's learning and growth. Each chapter discusses child development theory and relates theory to practice in ways that every teacher can understand and implement. It contains a comprehensive appendix, planning strategies, and an array of useful teaching tools.

Play provides young children with the opportunity to express their ideas, symbolize, and test their knowledge of the world. It provides the basis for inquiry in literacy, science, social studies, mathematics, art, music, and movement. Through play, young children become active learners engaged in explorations about themselves, their community, and their personal-social world. An Integrated Play-Based Curriculum for Young Children offers the theoretical framework for understanding the origins of an early childhood play-based curriculum and how young children learn and understand concepts in a social and physical environment. Distinguished author Olivia N. Saracho then explores how play fits into various curriculum areas in order to help teachers develop their early childhood curriculum using developmentally and culturally appropriate practice. Through this integrated approach, young children are able to actively engage in meaningful and functional experiences in their natural context. Special Features Include: Vignettes of children’s conversations and actions in the classroom Suggestions for activities and classroom materials Practical examples and guidelines End-of-chapter summaries to enhance and extend the reader’s understanding of young children By presenting appropriate theoretical practices for designing and implementing a play-based curriculum, An Integrated Play-Based Curriculum for Young Children offers pre-service teachers the foundational knowledge about the field, about the work that practitioners do with young children, and how to best assume a teacher’s role effectively.