Literacy and Learning --- What Does It Mean to Be Literate? --- Defining Literacy --- Why Is Literacy Important in School and in Life? --- School Achievement --- Lifelong Effects --- Generational Effects --- Implications --- What Is Your Role as a Teacher of Young Children? --- Making Instructional Decisions and Reflective Practice --- Creating a Positive Learning Environment --- What Recent Initiatives Have Addressed Literacy in the United States? --- Federal Legislation --- Professional Organizations’ Position Statements --- Standards Movement --- Continuing Your Professional Development --- Theoretical Perspectives of Literacy Development --- Behaviorist Perspective --- Historical and Theoretical Foundations --- How Reading and Writing Are Defined --- How Children Learn to Read and Write --- Instructional Approach: Subskills/Readiness --- Naturalist Perspective --- Historical and Theoretical Foundations --- How Reading and Writing Are Defined --- How Children Learn to Read and Write --- Instructional Approach: Whole Language --- Interactive Perspective --- Historical and Theoretical Foundations --- How Reading and Writing Are Defined --- How Children Learn to Read and Write --- Instructional Approach: Balanced --- Transactional Perspective --- Historical and Theoretical Foundations --- How Reading and Writing Are Defined --- How Children Learn to Read and Write --- Instructional Approach: Comprehensive Literacy Instruction --- Oral Language Development: Foundation for Literacy --- Role of Adults in Children’s Language Development: Overview --- Partners in Communication --- Effective Interaction Strategies --- Stages of Young Children’s Oral Language Development --- Cooing Stage --- Babbling Stage --- One-Word Stage --- Telegraphic Stage --- Beginning Oral Fluency Stage --- Oral Language Foundations for Literacy --- Areas of Language Knowledge --- Knowledge of the Sound System: Phonological --- Knowledge of Word Meanings: Semantic --- Knowledge of Word Order: Syntactic --- Knowledge of Word Structure: Morphemic --- Knowledge of How to Use Language in Different Settings: Pragmatic --- Metalinguistic Knowledge --- Diversity in Early Childhood Settings --- Key Guidelines for Teachers in Diverse Settings --- Continuum of Literacy Development --- Phase I: Observation --- Phase II: Exploration --- Phase III: Experimentation --- Phase IV: Communication --- Phase V: Conventional Reading and Writing --- Chapter Extension Activities --- Signs of Emergent Literacy Among Infants and Toddlers: Observation and Exploration --- Oral Language and Emergent Literacy --- Critical Role of Family and Early Childhood Settings --- Home Literacy Environment --- Parents Value Literacy --- Parents Use Reading and Writing in Their Daily Activities --- Parents Engage Children in Frequent Book Sharing --- Parents Encourage Children’s Early Literacy Explorations --- Parents Respond Positively to Children’s Questions --- Parents Value Children’s Early Attempts to Draw or Write --- Parents Engage Children in Frequent Conversations --- Parents Are Sensitive to Their Children’s Developmental Level and Prior Experiences --- Parents Use Scaffolding and Mediation --- Observing and Exploring Written Language --- Picture-Book Sharing --- Exploring Environmental Print --- Early Writing Attempts --- Revisiting the Transactional Perspective --- Terms to Know --- Enhancing Emergent Literacy Among Infants and Toddlers --- Early Childhood Settings for Infants and Toddlers --- General Classroom Guidelines --- Observe Each Child’s Ways of Communicating --- Create a Language- and Literacy-Rich Environment --- Developmentally-Based Learning Materials --- Enhancing Emergent Literacy Through Specific Activities --- Oral Language Activities --- Picture-Book Sharing --- Environmental Print Experiences --- Symbol-Making Experiences

--- Guidelines for Teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) --- Establish Rapport with Parents and Family --- Encourage and Support Use of First Language at Home --- Focus on Oral Language Development --- Provide Classroom Literacy Materials in Home Language and Culture --- Provide Language and Literacy Take-Home Activities --- Guidelines for Teachers of At-Risk Children --- Increase One-On-One Interactions --- Use Repetition to Strengthen Learning --- Observe Each Child’s Responses to Plan Future Activities --- Informal Assessment of Emergent Literacy Behaviors --- Key Areas for Informal Assessment --- Home–School Connections --- Acknowledge Home and Community Language and Literacy --- Share Information About Classroom Learning Activities --- Share Information About Children’s Language and Emergent Literacy --- Assist Parents in Providing Literacy Materials at Home --- Looking Ahead to Preschool --- Extension Activities --- Signs of Emergent Literacy Among Preschoolers --- Evidence of Preschoolers’ Development of Emergent Literacy: Overview --- Awareness of Sound Patterns and Individual Sounds in Words --- Associating Sounds with Letters of the Alphabet --- Focusing on Specific Features of Letters and Discriminating Between the Letters --- Creating Narratives --- Developing a Concept of Book Language --- Developing a Concept of How to Read --- Developing Book-Related Concepts --- Developing a Concept of How to Write --- Contexts of Preschoolers’ Emergent Literacy --- Key Characteristics of Preschool Contexts --- Revisiting the Transactional Perspective --- Enhancing Emergent Literacy Among Preschoolers --- Setting the Stage for Preschoolers’ Literacy Transactions --- General Guidelines --- Enhancing Emergent Literacy Through Specific Activities --- Informal Conversations --- Procedural Activities --- Independent Activities --- Teacher-Mediated Activities --- Guidelines for Teachers of English Language Learners (ELLs) --- Support Continued Development of Children’s Home Languages --- Focus on Developing Oral Language --- Activate and Build Upon Children’s Prior Knowledge --- Establish Predictable Routines --- Focus on Children’s Strengths --- Provide a Range of Language- and Literacy-Related Activities Embedded in Direct Experiences --- Encourage Parents to Engage Their Children in Conversation and Language Play --- Guidelines for Teachers of Preschoolers Who Are Language Delayed --- Use Effective Interaction Strategies --- Increase One-on-One Conversations --- Increase One-on-One or Small Group Interactive Book Sharing --- Increase Repetitions of Book Reading and Related Activities to Enhance Learning --- Assessment: Observing and Documenting Children’s Emergent Literacy --- Key Areas of Emergent Literacy Observation --- Contexts of Observation --- Home–School Connections --- Create a Lending Library in Your Classroom --- Help Parents Understand the Many Ways That Books Can Be Shared --- Encourage Parents to Engage Children in Oral Storytelling and Conversations --- Encourage Parents to Let Their Children Explore and Experiment with Drawing and Writing --- Share Ideas and Information with Parents through Short Newsletters --- Emergent Literacy Among Kindergartners: Signs, Standards, and Assessment --- Looking for Signs of Emergent Literacy Among Kindergartners --- Components of Kindergartners’ Literacy Transactions --- Key Signs of Emergent Literacy Among Kindergartners --- Oral Language Competencies --- Phonological Awareness --- Focus on Print: Decoding and Encoding --- Metalinguistic Knowledge --- Interest in Literacy-Related Events --- Reading and Writing for Personal Purposes --- Research-Based Implications for Kindergarten Curriculum --- Looking for Signs of Emergent Literacy in Your Kindergarten --- Oral Language Competencies --- Phonological Awareness --- Focus on Print --- Metalinguistic Knowledge --- Interest in Literacy-Related Events --- Reading and Writing for Personal Purposes --- Kindergarten Language Arts Standards --- Common Areas of Expectations for Kindergartners --- Implementing the Standards --- Meeting Kindergartners’ Developmental Needs --- Ongoing Assessments --- Enhancing Emergent Literacy and Beginning Reading and Writing in Kindergartners --- Kindergarten Context and Curriculum --- Key Areas of an Emergent Literacy Curriculum --- Key Learning Contexts and Activities for Emergent Literacy --- Enhancing Literacy Development Through Independent Activities --- General Guidelines for Providing Extra Support During Independent Activities --- Library Center --- Drawing/Writing Center --- Learning/Concept Centers --- Enhancing Literacy Development Through Teacher-Directed Activities --- Procedural Activities --- Interactive Book Sharing --- Interactive Writing: Dictation and Encoding --- Word Study --- Share and Talk --- Putting It All Together --- Assessments --- Clay’s Observation Survey --- Yopp-Singer Test of Phonemic Awareness --- Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills/DIBELS --- Planning and Using Assessment Information --- Family Involvement in Kindergartners’ Literacy Development --- Welcoming Families as Partners --- Encouraging Literacy-Related Activities at Home and in the Community --- Involving Families in School and Classroom Events --- Literacy Instruction in First Grade: Becoming an Independent Reader and Writer --- Learner Characteristics --- Learning Contexts --- Emphasis on Learning Standards --- Commercial Literacy Programs --- Additional School Resources --- Key Areas of Literacy Instruction in First Grade --- Learning Activities and Teaching Strategies --- General Guidelines --- Phonological Awareness Instruction --- Phonetic Awareness Instruction --- Comprehension of Vocabulary --- Comprehension of Text --- Fluency: Oral Reading and Silent Reading --- Strategies for Working with ELLs and Struggling Readers --- Welcome All Students to Your Classroom Community --- Cooperative/Collaborative Projects --- Paired Reading --- Home–School Connections --- Guidelines for Interacting with English Language Learners --- Guidelines for Interacting with Struggling Readers --- Informal Assessment Strategies --- Analyzing Readers’ Miscues --- Revisiting the Transactional Perspective: Comprehensive Literacy Instruction in First Grade --- Extension Activities --- Literacy Instruction in Second and Third Grade: Transitioning to Fluent Reading and Wri --- Learner Characteristics --- Learning Contexts --- Guidelines for Creating a Literacy-Rich Classroom --- Strategies for Enhancing Key Areas of Literacy --- Decoding and Word Recognition --- Vocabulary --- Comprehension --- Fluency --- Writing --- Spelling --- Strategies for Teacher–Parent Partnerships --- Establish and Maintain Frequent Communication --- Share Ideas for Supporting Students’ Literacy Development at Home --- Assessment and Literacy Portfolios --- Literacy Portfolios --- -- Extension Activities --- Transitioning to Fourth Grade--Reading and Writing to Learn --- Literacy Transactions in Fourth Grade --- Strategies for Enhancing Literacy Development in Fourth Grade --- Create a Literacy-Rich Environment --- Encourage Reading for Personal Purposes --- Encourage Students’ Personal Responses to Texts --- Encourage Students to Become Strategic Writers --- Encourage Students to Become Strategic Readers --- Focus on Strategies for Comprehending Informational Text --- Providing Extra Support for Struggling Readers and Writers --- Factors Associated with the Fourth-Grade Slump --- Strategies and Guidelines for Supporting Struggling Readers --- Strategies and Guidelines for Supporting Struggling Writers --- Chapter Extension Activities --- Glossary --- Appendix A - Literacy Resources for Infants and Toddlers --- Appendix B - Suggested Books for Preschoolers --- Appendix C - Preschool Observation Forms --- Appendix D - Suggested Categories and Titles for the Kindergarten Library Corner --- Appendix E - Lesson Plan Templates and Examples --- Appendix F - Resource Books for Reader's Theatre