In this article, the author describes how placing a plastic, gazebo-style bird feeder outside the classroom windows one cold autumn morning had been a catalyst for capturing and inspiring the children's imaginations. This empowered them to explore self-directed activities that resulted in meaningful, collaborative learning for most of the school…

Early childhood educators know that home is a child's first learning environment. From birth, children are comforted by hearing and listening to their caregivers' voices. The language used by families supports young children's development of oral language skills. Exposure to print materials in the home also supports literacy development. Literacy…

It is important for teachers to engage families in ways that develop a positive link between home and school. Using family literacy packs can create such a link. Originally designed for K-grade 2, the packs have been successfully adapted for young children of all ages. Early childhood teachers send children home with these packs, which include…

Good literacy instruction begins with immersing children in diverse texts--educators need to marinate students in literature so that, over time, it soaks into their consciousness and, eventually, into their writing. In this article, the author describes her experiences with a writing workshop for the 5- and 6-year-old children in her class. She…

Children develop literacy skills in environments that encourage their engagement with language, print, and books. The way children learn to read is affected by the level of support adults provide when children interact with books. The authors discuss books as natural supports for literacy learning and embedding such learning in typical early…

Reading, writing, and mathematics are best learned by children in meaningful, integrated experiences. In an engaging project combining math and literacy, primary children in Michelle Piwko's classroom followed the framework of verses from a classic children's book to structure their own writing about geometric forms. They brainstormed geometric…

Writing activities are an essential part of quality literacy practices in early care and education settings. As children communicate through writing, they learn important concepts about books and other forms of print in the world around them, including writing and alphabet systems. Young children best understand and appreciate writing when it is…

In this article, the authors describe Picture Power, a project they implemented during late spring in a full-day Montessori preschool-kindergarten program in Philadelphia. In this project, the authors set out to gather information about children's visual learning. The underlying question was whether artwork could provide useful clues to inform…

Schools are rushing to respond to the push by state boards of education and other credentialing bodies to increase the teaching of content-area knowledge at all grade levels--including kindergarten. In this article, the author contends that it is possible to address content in subject-area learning in kindergarten while acknowledging the cultural…

Describes the kinds of literacy knowledge ("knowing in doing") preschool children may express during play. Provides evidence of literacy understanding, strategies, and skills as children negotiate routines, roles, and rules in play. Discusses how literacy in play differs from the literacy learning later demanded in school, and includes…

In this article, the authors discuss some myths about culture and literacy based on the deficit perspective, and add their voices to those advocating a contrasting transformational perspective. They present evidence for the importance of looking closely and respectfully at interactions among children and families to better understand their many…

Reading is an essential skill for young children. It can chart a course for school success. Without this ability, children are likely to be unsuccessful and drop out of school. In this article, the authors focus on the use of Authentic African American children's literature to support literacy development, help unite the home and school…

In recent years, the need to develop new, effective teaching strategies to further children's literacy learning increased with urgency. National organizations, as well as state policy makers, have developed reading standards and initiatives to address young children's literacy needs. However, the range of children's reading styles is extensive and…

Discusses current research on how children understand the symbol system and its link to meaning; how they learn to write like authors, including editing and writing for different audiences; how they learn to become literary critics and to discover new worlds in books; and how different classroom contexts can encourage different types of literacy…