Designing Early Literacy Programs: Strategies for At-Risk Preschool and Kindergarten Children

by Lea M. McGee, Donald J. Richgels

Taking professionals and students step by step through conceptualizing, planning, and implementing an effective early literacy program, this book focuses on preventing reading difficulties and promoting success in at-risk 3- to 5-year-olds. The authors draw on extensive research and many years of influential work in real classrooms. A comprehensive framework is delineated for helping young children construct meaning from different kinds of texts, develop key oral language skills, and learn concepts about print and the alphabet. Ideas for tailoring instruction to the needs of culturally and linguistically diverse learners are accompanied by clear assessment guidelines. The book also offers practical, how-to-do-it suggestions for setting up literacy activities and arranging the classroom environment. Concluding chapters bring the authors' approach to life with vivid depictions of a preschool and a kindergarten classroom in action. Two invaluable appendices provide additional useful reproducible sheets for conducting literacy assessments and a primer on phonics for teachers.

214 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2003

Reviews

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful
Have the second edition
Literacy matters

Even though the Supreme Court says literacy isn’t a constitutional right

Literacy experiences before first grade are critical

Those living in poverty, and those learning English ... the future is different for them than more affluent children
We’ve known this for decades!(Hart and Risley) - it’s bleak at best for most children

Connects Susan Neuman’s work and supports accelerated learning- provides guidance on how to do that as well

Vygotskian perspective presented and supported

Highly recommend this as a summer read

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually read the second edition. I found this book extremely informative and it gave some great ideas for places to start for interventions in kindergarten. I wish I had read it last year!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUMMERFUN