Literacy educator Beverly Tyner presents plans for small-group instruction that addresses elementary students' six developmental stages of reading and writing: emergent, beginning, fledgling, transitional, fluent, and independent. To help teachers support students' literacy development, this book also provides: (1) Characteristics of readers and writers at each stage; (2) Lesson plans that target each of the research-based instructional components (fluency, word study, vocabulary, and comprehension); (3) Authentic classroom scenarios and conversations; (4) Practical classroom strategies and activities; and (5) Advice for when to move students to the next stage. If students cannot read with comprehension by 3rd grade, then their educational future is cast in doubt. Climbing the Literacy Ladder will not only help you grow as a competent and empowered literacy teacher but also ensure that your students continue to travel a clear and unobstructed educational road.