Strategies and Lessons for Improving Basic Early Literacy Skills

"The lessons build on one another and are clearly sequenced from teacher-led instruction to group instruction to independent practice. Readers will find suggested accountability and differentiated instruction ideas right at their fingertips. It is hard to find books targeted to the early grades, and this one covers many areas important to the K–3 educator."
―Tanya Phaturos, Reading Specialist
Park Elementary School, Holbrook, AZ

"Emphasizes practical activities presented in a consistent format that can be used with students to enhance their literacy development."
―Wanda Mangum, Language Arts Instructional Coach
Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA

Research-proven strategies to foster early literacy success!

Building strong literacy skills is the basis for helping all children read by the end of third grade. This hands-on guide shows teachers how to use research-based strategies and structured lessons to teach essential skills for literacy success in Grades K–3. The activities are designed by literacy specialists and teachers to build proficiency in four key areas: recognizing and naming letters, hearing and manipulating sounds in words, associating sounds with letters and using them to form words, and reading words in connected text effortlessly.

Addressing the needs of a diverse classroom, this book offers:

• Assessment guidelines and tools that inform instruction and help adjust teaching to support individual learning needs
• An array of ready-to-use strategies, tips, and reproducibles
• Research on teaching early literacy skills to all students

This book is designed for educators and other professionals who teach children of any proficiency level, but is equally appropriate for teaching students who experience difficulty in learning to read.

Bob Algozzine is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina and project codirector of the U.S. Department of Education-supported Behavior and Reading Improvement Center. With 25 years of research experience and extensive firsthand knowledge of teaching students classified as seriously emotionally disturbed, Algozzine is a uniquely qualified staff developer, conference speaker, and teacher of behavior management and effective teaching courses. He is active in special education practice as a partner and collaborator with professionals in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools in North Carolina and as an editor of several journals focused on special education. Algozzine has written more than 250 manuscripts on special education topics, including many books and textbooks on how to manage emotional and social behavior problems.

Mary Beth Marr is an associate professor in education at Meredith College, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy education. She previously served as a research associate with the Behavior and Reading Improvement Center at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Marr, whose research interests focus on early literacy and struggling readers, received her doctorate in reading education from the University of Minnesota.

Tina McClanahan has worked for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School (CMS) system since her graduation from West Virginia State College. During her time with CMS she has held the positions of classroom teacher, literacy teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, K–2 literacy facilitator, and is currently a Pre–K literacy facilitator. McClanahan has also worked for the Behavior and Reading Improvement Center at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte as a Center Support Coordinating teacher and received national board status as an Early Childhood Generalist (ECGEN) in 2001.

Emme Barnes is a literacy facilitator in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System working with teachers, students, and parents to develop literacy skills in elementary students. She has taught first and second grade classes in Title One, large suburban schools, and at The American School of Madrid. Barnes is on the advisory board for Reach Out and Read Charlotte and is a past recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Charlotteans Award given by the Charlotte Jaycees for her work with literacy in the community. She earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master of education degree in reading, language, and literacy from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.