Effective Early Literacy Practice: Here's How, Here's Why

Finally—one concise book to show educators which early literacy research really warrants attention, why it's so important, and how to help young children learn to read in real classrooms. This volume captures the best early literacy knowledge from highly respected leaders in the field and turns those key concepts into strategies to use now with diverse learners at different skill levels. Education professionals will get the latest research on these hot topics:

• classroom environment
• environmental print
• English language learners
• comprehension
• invented spelling
• shared storybook reading
• assessment of early literacy skills
• the home connection
• Early Reading First

With real classrooms in mind, the contributors match actual teaching experiences to the research in every chapter. Teachers will enjoy having the detailed vignettes, sample activities, and helpful guidelines and ideas for creating rich classroom environments conducive to learning. With the strategies outlined, educators will effectively teach young children the individual literacy skills they need, show them how to put the skills together to solve the puzzle of reading, and keep them motivated to learn.