Literacy education researchers McGee (U. of Alabama) and Richgels (Northern Illinois U.) welcome the recent attention to literacy instruction before first grade, especially for children from low-income families, but are concerned about the nature of the experiences and activities that will ensue. They argue that programs should be designed to take account of the children's literacy development and to respect their intellectual capacity. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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.
