All parents want their children to read well and to succeed–and experts agree that improving literacy begins at birth. Reading aloud to your child, sharing simple games and wordplay, and developing letter knowledge start your child off on the right foot for school and life. Now the esteemed Lee Pesky Learning Center has created this easy, accessible reference for parents to help foster better literacy skills in children. Topics are individually tailored for three age ranges–infant, toddler, and preschool–and include • the best read-aloud books to develop sound awareness • the perfect picture books for encouraging letter knowledge • ways to promote verbal language and build vocabulary • the benefits of symbolic play • fun (and educational) games for car trips • helping youngsters “write” at home • great gift ideas for kids • warning signs of a learning disability The fundamentals of reading start at home. Every Child Ready to Read helps parents motivate their children to learn, and to become confident readers who will always enjoy reading.

A step-by-step program that shows parents, simply and clearly, how to teach their child to read in just 20 minutes a day.

We're going on a bear hunt. Through the long wavy grass, the thick oozy mud and the swirling, whirling snowstorm - will we find a bear today?

In this essay collection, scholars in the area of early literacy provide concrete strategies for achieving excellence in literacy instruction. The collection presents current, research-based information on the advances and refinements in the area of emerging literacy and the early stages of formal instruction in reading and writing. Following a foreword (Alan Farstrup) and an introduction (Dorothy S. Strickland and Lesley Mandel Morrow), chapters in the collection are: (1) "Beginning Reading and Writing: Perspectives on Instruction" (William H. Teale and Junko Yokota); (2) "Becoming a Reader: A Developmentally Appropriate Approach" (Susan B. Neuman and Sue Bredekamp); (3) "Literacy Instruction for Young Children of Diverse Backgrounds" (Kathryn H. Au); (4) "Enhancing Literacy Growth through Home-School Connections" (Diana H. Tracey); (5) "Children's Pretend Play and Literacy" (Anthony D. Pellegrini and Lee Galda); (6) "Talking Their Way into Print: English Language Learners in a Prekindergarten Classroom" (Celia Genishi, Donna Yung-Chan, and Susan Stires); (7) "Organizing and Managing a Language Arts Block" (Lesley Mandel Morrow); (8) "Classroom Intervention Strategies: Supporting the Literacy Development of Young Learners at Risk" (Dorothy S. Strickland); (9) "Teaching Young Children to Be Writers" (Karen Bromley); (10) "Phonics Instruction" (Margaret Moustafa); (11) "Reading Aloud from Culturally Diverse Literature" (Lee Galda and Bernice E. Cullinan); (12) "Fostering Reading Comprehension" (Linda B. Gambrell and Ann Dromsky); (13) "Assessing Reading and Writing in the Early Years" (Bill Harp and Jo Ann Brewer); (14) "Sign of the Times: Technology and Early Literacy Learning" (Shelley B. Wepner and Lucinda C. Ray); and (15) "Still Standing: Timeless Strategies for Teaching the Language Arts" (Diane Lapp, James Flood, and Nancy Roser). (NKA)

HELP ME GET READY TO READ is an easy-to-follow guide for reading aloud effectively to children starting in infancy through the preschool years. Parents and grandparents, daycare providers, preschool staff, early childhood professionals, literacy volunteers, and librarians can use HELP ME GET READY TO READ to understand early literacy concepts and skills; choose good books to read aloud to young children; create a nurturing environment for reading aloud; and foster children's emotional, social, language, and cognitive development. In addition to creating positive connections to books and learning, HELP ME GET READY TO READ focuses on early literacy concepts and skills, such as listening and speaking, vocabulary, comprehension, phonological awareness, print concepts, letters and their sounds, and writing using both parenting strategies and reading strategies. It provides book-related activities that engage young children in dramatic play; rhymes fingerplays, and songs; and draw and write projects. Included in the practical guide are detailed lists of 275 quality books appropriate for reading aloud to children during their first five years. HELP ME GET READY TO READ can be used when reading aloud to one or more children at home or when reading aloud to groups of children in daycare, preschool, or library settings.

How can I help my child become a good reader? Getting Ready to Read emphasizes the vital link between good reading skills and a love of books. You’ll discover the importance of talking and singing to your baby, of playing with and reading to your toddler, of encouraging your pre-schooler’s curiosity, and of making your child aware of the importance of reading in your life. This warm, practical guide provides you with advice about games and activities that will pave the way to good reading skills as they bring hours of enjoyment to both parent and child. You’ll discover: • Why it’s important for children to develop reading skills at their own pace • Which books to choose for each stage of your child’s development • How to monitor TV watching, and how to use TV as a teaching tool • Why all facets of your child’s development—physical, mental, and emotional—affect reading readiness • How to integrate reading readiness activities into your daily life . . . and much more. Featuring a special section with practice games and tests to help prepare your child for the Reading Readiness Tests administered by schools