This article addresses the characteristics of learners in the emergent stage of literacy development and describes two instructional practices that facilitate the development of the alphabetic principle and concept of word in text.

When he entered the building, the buzz of speculations quickly traveled throughout the halls. Where did he come from? What is wrong with him? What grade is he in? Who is has the lowest number? As everyone secretly hopes the new student deemed a "challenge" won't be placed in their classroom, the tall, thin shadow shuffles past your room…

In an educational climate in which many teachers may feel the tension between achieving grade-level literacy standards and creating lifelong readers, interest can be a powerful mediator that impacts students' cognitive and affective experiences with reading. This practical article presents four research-based principles of reading…

A question being asked by teachers across the country is, How can I teach students to acquire both the skills and knowledge demanded by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) while simultaneously guiding them to read challenging texts such as those presented in Appendix B of the CCSS? Answering this invites the integration of ideas and the…

This article focuses on young children's misinterpretations of storybook illustrations. Examples of misinterpretations drawn from preschool classrooms are presented and analyzed to explain four kinds of confusion that are typically involved. Based on these analyses, the authors argue that young children are capable of the reasoning required to…

This article discusses the importance of comprehension strategy instruction in the early grades. It explains how one teacher integrated Alphaboxes, making connections, and the discussion web as part of her read aloud instructional practice. The article argues that, through careful planning, higher order thinking strategies can be modified for…

"My eSorts" is a strategy for helping children learn to read and spell in a socially motivated context. It is based on developmental spelling research and the word study approach to teaching phonics and spelling. "eSorting" employs digital desktop publishing tools that allow children to author their own electronic word sorts and then share these…

Describes how teachers implement a spelling decoding strategy within a first-grade language arts curriculum. Considers how the investigation of one spelling-decoding instructional strategy was a coming-to-know process that led the authors to value intentional word study that was connected to but not necessarily embedded in authentic contexts. (SG)

Describes how to use wordless picture books to encourage development of reading skills of Chapter One remedial reading students. (MG)

Considers how to incorporate all the components of early literacy strategies into a daily schedule. Describes what occurs during each component and how routines, centers, a rotation system, and classroom management are incorporated through a balanced schedule. Creates a seamless instructional and thematically based environment where the components…

Examines and evaluates a guided reading lesson using a literature webbing strategy, with predictable books. Concludes that this approach significantly improved young readers' comprehension. (MG)

Describes a reading program, Reading Recovery, that provides intensive instruction for young children who are at risk of failure during frist grade. Provides responses solicited from four Reading Recovery teacher leaders. (MG)

Discusses the use of story frames as a strategy for teaching reading comprehension to first grade students, and includes examples of student responses. (JC)

Finds the most effective schools and teachers to be distinguished from moderately and less effective schools by the following: time spent in small-group reading instruction, with much teacher collaboration; coaching children in strategies to figure out unknown words as part of phonics instruction; higher-level comprehension questions; more…

Discusses how interactive, whole class techniques (using a student-generated Big Book adaptation of "Corduroy") improved the reading skills of high risk first grade readers. Describes several activities, including sight word strategies, decoding techniques, and word processing, and suggests 27 Big Books for use with these activities. (MM)