Striking a Balance: Best Practices for Early Literacy

This popular book was written to help prepare pre-service and practicing teachers meet the challenge of today's diverse student population. It will help them create a balanced, comprehensive program that places direct skills instruction within the context of rich and varied reading and writing experiences. The author addresses language acquisition, the beginnings of literacy, teaching to standards, informational text, and common questions about using assessment to inform instruction; she also provides guidance and strategies for working with English language learners and struggling readers.The third edition has been updated to reflect current research and field knowledge. Other new features include a new chapter on informational reading and writing, new learning activities that involve using the book's informal assessment tools and researching relevant websites, and new instructional activities.

Author Nancy Cecil believes that one of the greatest tragedies of the present age is that most people do not recognize the life and death nature of teaching. Every moment in the lives of teachers and pupils brings critical decisions of motivation, reinforcement, reward, ego enhancement, and goal direction. The proper professional decisions of great teachers enhance learning and quality of life. We must begin to understand that doctors and lawyers have neither more nor less to do with life, death, and freedom than do teachers. Teaching, therefore, should be entrusted to only the most thoroughly prepared professionals.