Reading proficiency is the most fundamental learning skill, critical to students' success. Renowned educators and authors Cathy Collins Block and Susan Israel present an indispensable guide that will give teachers and literacy coaches crystal clear understanding of the evidenced-based instructional practices required by Reading First Legislation, along with the tools to incorporate them. The authors further expand the support for enriched classroom practice through evidence and practical how-to advice for additional domains that show proven benefits for students, including writing, metacognition and oral language. Through their explanations, teaching directions, and sample lessons, this resource bridges the gap between key research and daily reading classroom teaching. It also summarizes the educator-relevant provisions and requirements of Reading First and the No Child Left Behind federal programs. Each chapter includes: Short classroom-relevant research summaries for teachers- What teachers need to know about phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency- Lesson plans addressing each literacy domain- Components to assess learning- Strategies to differentiate for special learners, ELL, and advanced readers. Reading First and Beyond is packed with enriching ideas for all educators that will enhance their list of literacy instructional strategies, helping them achieve high levels of reading proficiency from all students.

Foster young children′s early literacy skills and build a strong foundation for reading! Emphasizing the importance of providing emerging readers with the skills for future literacy success, Early Reading First and Beyond is a comprehensive resource that helps early childhood educators develop children′s readiness for kindergarten by providing creative learning experiences based on the most current literacy research. In reader-friendly terms, Susan E. Israel illustrates how to create rich learning environments, provide activities to engage young minds, and promote the important language, cognitive, and early reading skills necessary to encourage learners′ self-confidence. Teachers will find proven practices, assessment tools, guidelines for meeting individual learning needs, examples, advice for professional development sessions, and connections to International Reading Association standards. This book presents essential information for understanding and implementing the core components of an Early Reading First program: Designing early childhood programs of excellence School-parent partnerships Oral language development Phonological awareness Print awareness Alphabetic knowledge Early metacognitive thinking Advocating strong connections between home and school, this accessible text offers teachers, early childhood education specialists, literacy coaches, administrators, and parents the appropriate tools to make a significant, positive difference in young children′s futures.

Try counting how many different types of texts you read each day. Now count how few your students read in class. Michael Opitz, Michael Ford, and Matthew Zbaracki argue that if we want children to meet our literacy expectations, we must do more than supplement basal reading or anthologies with a few books here and there. What kids need to grow into lifelong readers is true variety in a print-rich classroom, teaching that values their out-of-school literacy as well as their in-school literacy, and an emphasis on what works, instead of what's mandated. Books and Beyond is a book of big ideas and smart, useful strategies. Opitz, Ford, and Zbaracki suggest ways to model literate behaviors so that students come to understand that reading is not reserved for the classroom but permeates everything adults do. They describe step by step how to use ten distinct types of outside-world text in your reading program, including a wide range of genres and media. They offer specific advice and instructional alternatives for each kind of text and answer key instructional questions about it such as: Why use it? How can it be used in the classroom? How does it work with different age groups? What are examples that are appropriate for students? What websites are good for researching it? Books and Beyond has everything you need to create a reading program that truly offers students choice alongside a strong sense of how and why we use reading in our everyday lives. And with tips for working around the obstacles of basals, suggestions for reforming the attitudes that have left many real-world texts undervalued, ignored, or even banned from classroom use, as well as methods for using alternative texts to increase student interest and motivation, it's got enough savvy to help you make the transition to a balanced reading program without making waves. If you or your students struggle with banal basal programs, or if you'd simply like to open children's eyes to a wider world of genres, texts, and literature, read Books and Beyond. You'll find a whole new world of reading instruction at your fingertips.

This reader-friendly resource examines the key elements of Early Reading First to help teachers foster the language, cognitive, and early reading skills critical to young children's success in kindergarten.

This reader-friendly resource examines the key elements of Early Reading First to help teachers foster the language, cognitive, and early reading skills critical to young children's success in kindergarten.

In the first edition of Beyond Leveled Books, Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak, offered a much-needed perspective on moving transitional readers from the basic supports of leveling to independent book selection. Seven years later, drawing on their continued research and expanding roles as authors and literacy consultants, Franki and Karen, along with colleague Lisa Koch, present a new updated and expanded edition of this "useful and eye-opening book." Education Reviews, 2001] In Beyond Leveled Books, Second Edition the authors provide even more resources to help teachers understand and meet the needs of transitional readers. The key topic of series books has been revised and enlarged, with charts outlining new series with the challenges they pose and supports readers need. New lessons have been added, and most chapters now include a related article from a literacy expert. Some of the contributors include Kathy Collins, Larry Swartz, and Mary Lee Hahn. The book also features an entirely new section covering grades K-1, that explores the uses and limitations of leveled texts in primary reading instruction. Among the highlights of this new section are ideas for how to organize your classroom library and a list of great books to use alongside leveled text in supporting new readers. Packed with examples of classroom instruction, sample mini-lessons, strategies for small-group instruction, assessment techniques, and student work, this new edition expands what was once a great little book that filled a gap for teachers in intermediate grades into an essential resource for independent reading instruction from grades K-5.

This book extends models of early literacy, analyzing how children’s reading and spelling skills develop throughout their school career. An account of how a child’s reading and spelling develop which goes beyond the early years Shows that there are radical changes in the way children read and spell as they get older Describes a new theory about the learning that goes on in the later stages of reading and spelling Makes clear the educational implications of this theory The authors' research has previously contributed to the 'literacy hour' – a government initiative to improve the teaching of literacy skills in UK schools