Bringing together leading scholars, this book describes proven ways to enhance early literacy skills in 3- and 4-year-olds, especially those from low-income families. Presented are scientifically based methods and approaches that are being applied in Early Reading First programs around the country. Important topics include promoting oral language…

Uses a case study to illustrate a problem-solving model of educational decision making. The model uses measures to provide a local normative context to monitor progress and to evaluate the effects of interventions. Demonstrates the linkage between assessment information and educational decisions, and discusses indicators of basic early literacy.…

This book concerns the growth of a single child, as reported by her mother, from her first encounters with books and print to the beginnings of independent reading and writing. The study took place mainly between the child's third and fourth birthdays, during which period weekly tape recordings were made of story-reading sessions with one or both…

Observations of spontaneous behaviors and comments of one child pertinent to emergent literacy are reported. The following areas are addressed: letter/numeral naming; the meaning of print; the communicative function of print; conception of meaning-units or words; language games; awareness of the sound of language; and the relationship between…

Addresses the issue of what happens to developing readers and spellers when they are given phonics instruction by describing the experiences of one six-year-old girl who received phonics instruction in kindergarten. (BB)

Calls for reforms in instructional practices and curricula control in literacy programs that disenfranchise five- and six-year-olds who have already served for months or years as active members of the literacy club. Illustrated by one child's early literacy and kindergarten experiences. (BB)

Highlighted by Katy's early reading and writing experiences, guidelines to help young children become effective readers and writers are offered to parents and teachers. (BB)

This case study documents the emergence of reading ability in an extremely precocious reader between the ages of two years, seven months and three years, two months. At the end of this period, his word recognition ability was at the late first-grade level. Writing skills began to develop when he was four years old. (DB)