Updated curriculum with a friendly way to help enhance language and literacy skills in the early childhood classroom

A well-designed language-focused curriculum creates natural and teacher-directed opportunities for preschoolers to develop the language and communication skills that are essential to later academic success. And all children benefit -- those with language impairments, those learning English as a second language, and those developing typically. Volume II offers a semester's worth of activities and ideas for more than 50 dramatic play, art, and group exercises that emphasize social, cognitive, and motor skills.

A well-designed language-focused curriculum creates natural and teacher-directed opportunities for preschoolers to develop the language and communication skills that are essential to later academic success. And all children benefit -- those with language impairments, those learning English as a second language, and those developing typically. Volume I explains how children acquire language and proves the merits of a culturally sensitive, individualized approach to helping young children learn.

Discover new, practical methods for teaching literacy skills in your early childhood classroom. Has teaching early literacy skills become a stumbling block to getting your preschool students kindergarten ready? Break out of the tired “letter of the week” routine and learn how to transform your lessons with fun and effective techniques. Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers will equip teachers to infuse every aspect of their teaching with exciting hands-on literacy teaching methods that engage students and help them build authentic connections with books, so that 100% of their students will have a strong literacy foundation and will be fully prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. Respected author Vanessa Levin, veteran early childhood educator and author of the “Pre-K Pages” blog, breaks down the research and translates it into realistic, actionable steps you can take to improve your teaching. Features specific examples of teaching techniques and activities that engage students in hands-on, experiential learning during circle time, centers, and small groups. Offers a simple, four-step system for teaching literacy skills, based on the foundational principles of early literacy teaching Demonstrates how to build your confidence in your ability to get 100% of your students ready for kindergarten, long before the end of the school year Understand the problems with traditional literacy teaching and identify gaps in your current teaching practice with this valuable resource.

Child-centered lesson planning provides a system to strengthen teaching. Great lesson planning helps teachers to choose a range of strategies that match what children are learning and doing-- from directed mini-lessons to facilitated group activities.

The Creative Curriculum comes alive! This videotape-winner of the 1989 Silver Apple Award at the National Educational Film and Video Festival-demonstrates how teachers set the stage for learning by creating a dynamic well-organized environment. It shows children involved in seven of the interest areas in the The Creative Curriculum and explains how they learn in each area. Everyone conducts in-service training workshops for staff and parents or who teaches early childhood education courses will find the video an indispensable tool for explainin appropriate practice.