50 Early Childhood Literacy Strategies, 3rd edition

Teachers and student interns get the latest information on early literacy in an easy-to-use, easy-to-understand format. The book’s unique approach presents 50 brief yet concise chapters, each featuring a practical strategy for teaching three-, four-, and five-year-olds to read.

Readers see clearly when, how, and with which students to use each strategy and get the background information they need to create additional strategies to reinforce each lesson. A brief introduction to each strategy sets the stage and discusses the literacy concept associated with the strategy.

Readers learn quickly which picture books and activities to use with children, how to use them effectively, and how to ensure that children benefit from their use. Materials, content, and activities found in most early childhood classrooms are covered: blocks, chalk, crayons, computers, puppets, and more.

Teachers see how to work effectively and successfully with dual language learners. The book includes the latest information on working with dual language learners and vocabulary development.

The book’s approach enables teachers the flexibility to select the strategies and activities most suited to their own teaching situations. Strategies are arranged in three parts for easy selection—Children’s Speaking/Listening, Children’s Writing, and Children’s Reading—and the activities have been selected as models to help teachers develop their own ideas.

The Third Edition features new chapters on listening, vocabulary development, using dictation, working effectively with both writing and reading with dual language learners, and understanding kindergarten reading. It includes 69 new picture books, new activities in every chapter, 29 new children’s artifacts, updated references, and a helpful Appendix of 26 appropriate web sites.

New chapter, Listening Center (Ch. 3), helps teach children to “listen with intent,” to hear new words and to interpret their meaning. Coverage is included of such equipment as CD players, headsets, and karaoke machines.

New chapter, Vocabulary Development (Ch. 10), helps children build a necessary vocabulary of 2,500 words per year and to explore two to four new words per day. Children learn “word-meaning clues” and teachers help them explore words using text and illustrations.

New chapter, Taking Dictation (Ch. 21), encourages teachers to write down children’s oral stories. Children get to see certain speech sounds being connected to specific letters.

New chapter, Dual Language Learners’ Writing (Ch. 27), shows teachers how to help children who are learning English at the same time they are learning their home language. This chapter encourages the development of both the children’s home language and English.

New chapter, Dual Language Readers (Ch. 39) shows teachers how to help students who are learning two languages at the same time to develop literacy. It gives children the chance to read their own writing, as a key to reading text, and lets teachers read bilingual books to children.

New chapter, Kindergarten Reading (Ch. 46), helps teachers understand what comes next in the reading/writing continuum. Teachers see how interactive read-alouds and read-alongs work, how reading is done, and what happens during independent reading time.