Reading improves vocabulary and language skills. Children learn basic sight words as they read. Subconsciously, they absorb information on how to structure sentences and how to use words and other language features effectively in their writing and speaking. Reading promotes achievement in all subjects, not just English. Children who are good readers tend to achieve better across the curriculum. After all, practice makes perfect in almost everything kids do and reading in no different. We aim to enable kids to read confidently, fluently, accurately and with understanding.
Understanding Reading revolutionized reading research and theory when the first edition appeared in 1971 and continues to be a leader in the field. In the sixth edition of this classic text, Smith's purpose remains the same: to shed light on fundamental aspects of the complex human act of reading--linguistic, physiological, psychological, and social--and on what is involved in learning to read. The text critically examines current theories, instructional practices, and controversies, covering a wide range of disciplines but always remaining accessible to students and classroom teachers. Careful attention is given to the ideological clash that continues between whole language and direct instruction and currently permeates every aspect of theory and research into reading and reading instruction. To aid readers in making up their own minds, each chapter concludes with a brief statement of "Issues." Understanding Reading: A Psycholinguistic Analysis of Reading and Learning to Read, Sixth Edition is designed to serve as a handbook for language arts teachers, a college text for basic courses on the psychology of reading, a guide to relevant research on reading, and an introduction to reading as an aspect of thinking and learning. It is matchless in integrating a wide range of topics relative to reading while, at the same time, being highly readable and user-friendly for instructors, students, and practitioners.
Learn to Read: A Magical Site Words and Phonics Activity Book This book is perfect for kids of all ages who want to learn to read and write in a fun and magical way! The book contains over 40 sight words that kids learn through the image of the word as opposed to sounding letters out. These words make up almost half of most children's books which results in a much easier experience learning other words. It also includes word recognition drills along with fun puzzles and games using magical creatures like unicorns, mermaids and dinosaurs. The Book Contains: Premium matte cover design Printed on high quality 60# interior stock Perfectly sized at 8.5" x 11"
The assessment of young children's development and learning has recently taken on new importance. Private and government organizations are developing programs to enhance the school readiness of all young children, especially children from economically disadvantaged homes and communities and children with special needs. Well-planned and effective assessment can inform teaching and program improvement, and contribute to better outcomes for children. This book affirms that assessments can make crucial contributions to the improvement of children's well-being, but only if they are well designed, implemented effectively, developed in the context of systematic planning, and are interpreted and used appropriately. Otherwise, assessment of children and programs can have negative consequences for both. The value of assessments therefore requires fundamental attention to their purpose and the design of the larger systems in which they are used. Early Childhood Assessment addresses these issues by identifying the important outcomes for children from birth to age 5 and the quality and purposes of different techniques and instruments for developmental assessments.
This best-selling dictionary is now in its 4th edition. Specifically written for students of language teaching and applied linguistics, it has become an indispensible resource for those engaged in courses in TEFL, TESOL, applied linguistics and introductory courses in general linguistics. Fully revised, this new edition includes over 350 new entries. Previous definitions have been revised or replaced in order to make this the most up-to-date and comprehensive dictionary available. Providing straightforward and accessible explanations of difficult terms and ideas in applied linguistics, this dictionary offers: Nearly 3000 detailed entries, from subject areas such as teaching methodology, curriculum development, sociolinguistics, syntax and phonetics. Clear and accurate definitions which assume no prior knowledge of the subject matter helpful diagrams and tables cross references throughout, linking related subject areas for ease of reference, and helping to broaden students' knowledge The Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics is the definitive resource for students.
Everything educators need to know to enhance learning for ESLstudents This unique teacher time-saver includes scores of helpful,practical lists that may be reproduced for classroom use orreferred to in the development of instructional materials andlessons. The material contained in this book helps K-12 teachersreinforce and enhance the learning of grammar, vocabulary,pronunciation, and writing skills in ESL students of all abilitylevels. For easy use and quick access, the lists are printed in aformat that can be photocopied as many times as required. Acomplete, thoroughly updated glossary at the end provides anindispensable guide to the specialized language of ESLinstruction.
Following the first volume of Remembering the Kanji, the present work provides students with helpful tools for learning the pronunciation of the kanji. Behind the notorious inconsistencies in the way the Japanese language has come to pronounce the characters it received from China lie several coherent patterns. Identifying these patterns and arranging them in logical order can reduce dramatically the amount of time spent in the brute memorization of sounds unrelated to written forms. Many of the “primitive elements,” or building blocks, used in the drawing of the characters also serve to indicate the “Chinese reading” that particular kanji use, chiefly in compound terms. By learning one of the kanji that uses such a “signal primitive,” one can learn the entire group at the same time. In this way, Remembering the Kanji 2 lays out the varieties of phonetic pattern and offers helpful hints for learning readings, that might otherwise appear completely random, in an efficient and rational way. Individual frames cross-reference the kanji to alternate readings and to the frame in volume 1 in which the meaning and writing of the kanji was first introduced. A parallel system of pronouncing the kanji, their “Japanese readings,” uses native Japanese words assigned to particular Chinese characters. Although these are more easily learned because of the association of the meaning to a single word, the author creates a kind of phonetic alphabet of single syllable words, each connected to a simple Japanese word, and shows how they can be combined to help memorize particularly troublesome vocabulary. The 4th edition has been updated to include the 196 new kanji approved by the government in 2010 as “general-use” kanji.
This unique and timely book follows the experiences of four Arabic teenagers, their families and their community, focusing on the role of literacy in their daily lives and the differences between home and school. The author looks at the conflict between expectations and practices at school and in the home, arguing that problems are inevitable where class and cultural differences exist. Emerging themes include: how literacy practices in the community are undergoing rapid change due to global developments in technology how the patterns of written and spoken language in English and Arabic in the home are linked with social practices in logical and coherent ways how many of the family practices that differ from school culture and language become marginalised. Built around these insightful case studies yet grounded in theory, this book is of immediate relevance to teachers working in multicultural contexts and students and lecturers in language/literacy or on TESOL courses.
