Designing Early Literacy Programs

"This acclaimed teacher resource and course text describes proven ways to accelerate the language and literacy development of young children, including those at risk for reading difficulties. The authors draw on extensive research and classroom experience to present a complete framework for differentiated instruction and early intervention. Strategies for creating literacy-rich classrooms, conducting effective assessments, and implementing targeted learning activities are illustrated with vivid examples and vignettes. Helpful reproducible assessment tools are provided. Purchasers also get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Subject Areas/Keywords: assessments, at-risk students, beginning readers, CCSS, classroom environments, classrooms, Common Core State Standards, differentiated instruction, early childhood reading, early literacy, ELA, emergent, English language arts, foundational skills, interventions, kindergarten, language, literacy development, preschool, prevention, programs, reading difficulties, response to intervention, RTI, struggling, teaching, writing Audience: Preschool and kindergarten teachers; reading specialists; school and child care administrators; instructors and students in early childhood education and early literacy"--

Taking professionals and students step by step through conceptualizing, planning, and implementing an effective early literacy program, this book focuses on preventing reading difficulties and promoting success in at-risk 3- to 5-year-olds. The authors draw on extensive research and many years of influential work in real classrooms. A comprehensive framework is delineated for helping young children construct meaning from different kinds of texts, develop key oral language skills, and learn concepts about print and the alphabet. Ideas for tailoring instruction to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners are accompanied by clear assessment guidelines. The book also offers practical, how-to-do-it suggestions for setting up literacy activities and arranging the classroom environment. Concluding chapters bring the authors' approach to life with vivid depictions of a preschool and a kindergarten classroom in action. Two invaluable appendices provide additional useful resources: reproducible sheets for conducting literacy assessments and a primer on phonics for teachers.

More Timely Than Ever... McGee and Richgels have set the standard in this new edition by clearly and simply explaining the issues addressed in Reading First and Early Reading First legislation that affect the reading instruction of young children. Aligned with the findings of the National Reading Panel, this edition's emphasis focuses on child-centered instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, comprehension, and interpretation. Without a question, this text will be the most talked about resource for prospective teachers of children from birth to age eight. New To This Edition Thoroughly describes ways to organize an environment to stimulate the growth of language, both written and oral, making this text an invaluable resource for prospective teachers. Emphasizes child- centered instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, comprehension, and interpretation, giving special attention to instruction in phonological and phonemic awareness embedded in a literature- based program. Highlights the unique opportunities for literacy development aided by computers. Continues to provide examples of scoring rubrics and children's work samples. Provides application activities for the working classroom in " Beyond the Text" sections at the end of each chapter. Presents young children's reading and writing from birth to age eight through numerous vignettes. Examines children's learning in social settings, including home, preschool, and school. Reviewers Can't Put This Book Down! " This book is ideal because of its ability to merge our programmatic philosophyand the students' experiences with more traditional or currently conventional thinking in the world of education, teaching, learning, etc... " Barbara Burrington "University of Vermont" " ... I think this is a great book. It has proved to be very beneficial to my students." Gail T. Eichman "Cleveland State University" " In my opinion, this book contains the most thorough explanation of children's literacy development that I have read" Frances Mallow "University of Houston" Meet the Authors Lea M. McGee is a Professor of Literacy at the University of Alabama where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in beginning reading, foundations of literacy, and children's literature. She previously taught at Boston College and Louisiana State University. She has published widely in Reading Research Quarterly, The Reading Teacher, and Language Arts. She is co-author of another book with Donald J. Richgels titled Designing Early Literacy Programs for At Risk Children in Preschool and Kindergarten. Donald J. Richgels is a Professor in the Department of Literacy Education at Northern Illinois University, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in language arts, reading, and language development. He is the author of Going to Kindergarten: A Year with an Outstanding Teacher. His work has appeared in Language and Speech, Reading Research Quarterly, Journal of Reading Behavior, The Reading Teacher, Journal of Educational Research, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. His current research interests are preschool and kindergarten classroom practice and the relationship between spokenlanguage acquisition and literacy development.

Don't simply accommodate families with young children—draw them in and make your library a destination!

Estimates suggest that over 10 million school children in the United States are poor readers (U.S. Department of Education, 1999). Reading concerns are even more prevalent within schools serving children living in poverty. Early literacy experiences are linked to a child2s success in becoming a strong reader since the early childhood years are when the foundation for reading is established. This study involved designing, implementing, and evaluating an early literacy intervention program to increase the amount of time children and teachers spend engaged in early literacy activities. The program, carried out at a Head Start center, was evaluated by examining (a) the percentage of time children and adults spend engaged in literacy activities, (b) children2s skill gains, and (c) teachers2 acceptability ratings of program components. The data was analyzed using time series experimental design procedures. The program was successful in increasing the amount of child and teacher engagement in literacy activities, there was some evidence that the program impacted the children2s early literacy skills, and the program received high acceptability ratings. Further research is needed on formative assessment strategies that can be used with preschoolers, how to help educators design and evaluate effective early literacy programs that support all children, and longitudinal research which examines the impact of early literacy intervention on later reading skills.

This textbook provides a framework for teaching children’s language and literacy and introduces research-based tactics for teachers to use in designing their literacy programs for children. Exploring how sense-making occurs in contemporary literacy practice, Murphy comprehensively covers major topics in literacy, including contemporary multimodal literacy practices, classroom discourse, literacy assessment, language and culture, and teacher knowledge. Organized around themes—talk, reading and composing representation—this book comprehensively invites educators to make sense of their own teaching practices while demonstrating the complexities of how children make sense of and represent meaning in today’s world. Grounded in research, this text features a wealth of real-world, multimodal examples, effective strategies and teaching tactics to apply to any classroom context. Ideal for literacy courses, preservice teachers, teacher educators and literacy scholars, this book illustrates how children become literate in contemporary society and how teachers can create the conditions for children to broaden and deepen their sense-making and expressive efforts.

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.

Kindergarten is a time for playful and enriching learning activities that support children's literacy emergence while enhancing their social and cognitive development. The routines of a busy, engaged, productive kindergarten classroom are vividly brought to life in this information-packed book. Demonstrated are whole-class and small-group strategies for helping children acquire concepts about print and the alphabet, build phonological and phonemic awareness, learn to read sight words, develop their listening comprehension and writing abilities, and much more.

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.

Designed to be scholarly in content and grounded in research and at the same time be practical and usable for day care workers, classroom teachers, and curriculum specialists, this book discusses various aspects of the view that children's literacy development is a continuous process beginning in infancy with exposure to oral language, written language, books, and stories in the home. Articles in the book focus on theory and practice for children aged two through eight in classrooms ranging from day care facilities and other prekindergarten settings through second grade. Articles include: (1) "Emergent Literacy: New Perspectives" (William H. Teale and Elizabeth Sulzby); (2) "Oral Language and Literacy Development" (Susan Mandel Glazer); (3) "Family Storybook Reading: Implications for Children, Families, and Curriculum" (Dorothy S. Strickland and Denny Taylor); (4) "Literature for Young Children" (Bernice E. Cullinan); (5) "Reading to Kindergarten Children" (Jana M. Mason and others); (6) "Emergent Writing in the Classroom: Home and School Connections" (Elizabeth Sulzby and others); (7) "Is it Reasonable...? A Photo Essay" (Nancy Roser and others); (8) "The Place of Specific Skills in Preschool and Kindergarten" (Judith A. Schickedanz); (9) "Assessment of Young Children's Reading: Documentation as an Alternative to Testing" (Edward Chittenden and Rosalea Courtney); (10) "Designing the Classroom to Promote Literacy Development" (Lesley Mandel Morrow); (11) "A Model for Change: Framework for an Emergent Literacy Curriculum" (Dorothy S. Strickland); and (12)"Fostering Needed Change in Early Literacy Programs" (Jerome C. Harste and Virginia A. Woodward). An appendix contains a statement of concerns about present practices in prefirst grade reading instruction and recommendations for improvement. (RS)