This text is appropriate for undergraduate courses in Children's Literature and Early Literacy. This broad introduction to early childhood literature focuses on literacy analysis and on specific techniques and methods of effective literature-based education. The author uses an inviting writing style to help students understand ways to involve children ages 2-8 with literature. This text includes a number of valuable methods and suggestions that are designed to enhance both understanding and enjoyment of literature.

This resource presents assessment and instructional activities that are evidence based, practical, and easy to implement. This comprehensive text demonstrates how to link assessment and instruction practices for every component of literacy learning and helps teachers become informed decision makers about purposeful literacy instruction. Addressing the Early Reading First areas of phonological awareness, print knowledge, and language development, the book also covers parent involvement, integrated curriculum, and suggestions for working with children with special needs and English language learners. Using vignettes of four children representing diverse backgrounds, the authors weave together theory and practice and describe how instructional strategies are implemented in classroom settings. Each chapter contains figures and graphic organizers and includes sections on instructional strategies, assessment, and diversity

Presents a comprehensive, theoretically grounded model of children’s understanding of picture storybooks—the first to focus specifically on young children. Relevant to contemporary young children from a wide variety of ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds, this dynamic volume includes a wealth of examples of children’s responses to literature and how teachers scaffold their interpretation of stories. “The highest recommendation I can make is that I learned so much. . . . You will too!” —From the Foreword by P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley “The single most important book on this topic since Applebee’s The Child’s Concept of Story . . . it is also a pleasure to read.” —Lee Galda, University of Minnesota “Sipe provides a comprehensive theory of literary understanding specific to contemporary young children’s interactions with picture books. Storytime is grounded in well-documented research, an in-depth knowledge of literary theory, and enlivened by insightful commentary.” —Glenna Sloan, Professor Emerita, Queens College of the City University of New York “As a working illustrator who spends most days drawing or painting or dreaming about children's picturebooks, I sometimes wonder, ‘Is there really any point to all of this?’ In this book, Larry Sipe shows me clearly, wittily, and thoroughly that there is.” —Chris Raschka, Caldecott Medal–winning children's book author and illustrator “Those of us who work with children, picturebooks, and teachers could have no more insightful guide to their interactions than Larry Sipe himself.” —Nancy L. Roser, University of Texas, Austin

This edited volume constitutes the first serious, sustained examination of the study of children’s books for children aged from 0 to 3 with contributions by scholars working in different domains and attempting to assess the recognition of the role and influence of children’s literature on the cognitive, linguistic, psychological and aesthetic development of young children. This collection achieves a balance between theoretical, empirical, historical and cross-cultural approaches by examining the broad range of children’s books for children under three years of age, ranging from early-concept books through wimmelbooks and ABC books for small children to picture books that support the young child’s acquisition of behavioral norms. Most importantly, the chapters proffer new insights into the strong relationship between children’s books for young children and emergent literacy, drawing on current research in children’s literature research, visual literacy, cognitive psychology, language acquisition, picture theory and pedagogy.

Grade level: 1, 2, 3, k, p, e, t.

The 8th edition of this bestselling text provides a framework and instructional strategies for identifying, selecting, and teaching high-quality children’s literature for ages 0–8. This new edition’s emphasis on diverse literature will assist in positively impacting the lives of all young people. Effective instructional approaches for using literature as a teaching tool are coupled with developmentally appropriate methods for sharing literature with young children. This book is a foundational text for graduate and undergraduate students in early childhood education, early literacy, literacy methods, children’s literature, and literature instruction.

This text is written for early childhood teachers and childcare professionals to help them learn to recognise high-quality children's literature and effectively use it to support emerging literacy development in preschool and primary-age children.