After the visitors have left the zoo and the animals have settled down for the night, a mischievous monkey starts a ting-tong rhythm on the marimba and slowly the animals awaken. Lions and llamas samba and cougars and coyotes conga as all the animals join in the fun to create a rollicking fiesta.This unique alphabet book also introduces the concept of cognates --- words in different languages that are similar. Author's note, pronunciation guide, rebus dictionary.

Join the world of balloons, pancakes, and musical instruments—just a few items to help improve early literacy in the library, the classroom, and at home. Literacy-builders covered range from music and instruments to magnetic letters, alphabet beads, and food. Literacy is a popular topic of discussion among librarians. Especially important is "early literacy," what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. In this book, experienced librarians Kathy Barco and Melanie Borski-Howard share hands-on techniques that they have used to successfully promote early literacy and encourage family involvement. Storytime and Beyond teaches readers how to use "literacy doodads"—inexpensive props that add excitement to storytimes and can be used outside the library or classroom—to enhance the basic components of any early literacy program: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Many of the doodads can be created as family do-it-yourself projects, and some can be adapted to work with non-readers of any age. Instruments can also be a great way to get children's attention and teach literacy skills, whether it's a drum to beat while reading a story or a maraca for children to shake during a song, and lesson plans for musical storytimes address how to use rhythm, singing, and dancing to make early literacy fun.

A school trip to the zoo is the entertaining setting for learning high-interest Spanish vocabulary in this fun book. Readers will love knowing the Spanish words for their favorite animals, such as the jirafa (giraffe) and oso (bear). Pronunciations and a word key in each chapter further reinforce the terms, as well as carefully chosen, labeled photographs.

Before children are readers and writers, they are speakers and listeners. This book provides creative, hands-on strategies for developing preschoolers' speaking, listening, and oral comprehension skills, within a literacy-rich classroom environment. Each chapter features helpful classroom vignettes; a section called Preschool in Practice, with step-by-step lesson ideas; and Ideas for Discussion, Reflection, and Action. The book addresses the needs of English language learners and describes ways to support students' literacy development at home. The final chapter pulls it all together through a portrait of an exemplary day of preschool teaching and learning. Reproducible forms and checklists can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

More effectively meet the diverse literacy needs of the growing Latino population by learning how to evaluate and select quality Latino children's literature. Latinos are the fastest growing and largest ethnic minority in the United States. The number of Latino children is at a historic high. As a result, librarians and teachers in the United States must know how to meet the informational, cultural, and traditional literacy needs of this student demographic group. An ideal way to overcome this challenge is by providing culturally accurate and authentic children's literature that represents the diversity of the Latino cultures. Much more than simply a topical bibliography, this book details both historical and current practices in educating Latino children; explains why having quality Latino children's literature in classrooms and libraries is necessary for the ethnic identity development of Latino children; and offers a historical overview of Latino children's literature in America. Web resources of interest to educators working with Latino children are also included.

Common Core's English resources empower educators to meet the expectations of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA) and build essential content knowledge for students in grades K-5. Each grade in The Wheatley Portfolio features a comprehensive, coherent sequence of thematic units that engage students in deep study of worthwhile texts and topics. Features of this book include: Six thematic units for each grade, each centered on a curated collection of literary and informational texts Focus standards for each unit that complement the topic and promote student mastery of essential literacy skills Suggested texts and activities to incorporate science, art, and history into English instruction This revised second edition includes a sample text study that guides students through a close read of an exemplary text, updated web resources, and refreshed suggested works. Educators who create their curriculum based on Common Core's Wheatley Portfolioguarantee that students are exposed to content-rich instruction and have ample opportunity to master the reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills articulated in the CCSS for ELA.