Before children are readers and writers, they are speakers and listeners. This book provides creative, hands-on strategies for developing preschoolers' speaking, listening, and oral comprehension skills, within a literacy-rich classroom environment. Each chapter features helpful classroom vignettes; a section called Preschool in Practice, with step-by-step lesson ideas; and Ideas for Discussion, Reflection, and Action. The book addresses the needs of English language learners and describes ways to support students' literacy development at home. The final chapter pulls it all together through a portrait of an exemplary day of preschool teaching and learning. Reproducible forms and checklists can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.
This book presents the most effective instructional strategies for promoting vocabulary growth in the early grades, when the interdependence of word learning and oral language development is especially strong. The authors guide teachers in choosing the best materials and in fostering home-school connections, and share six key principles for building vocabulary. Included are guiding questions; text boxes connecting vocabulary to the Common Core State Standards; examples from real teachers; reproducible checklists, rubrics, and other tools; and an appendix of additional vocabulary resources. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.
The concept of bridging between languages is introduced to the biliteracy filed in this practical professional development guide for teachers, administrators, and leadership teams.
How can teachers provide effective instruction for students with learning disabilities while meeting the needs of all students? The second edition of this accessible text gives K-12 educators research-based answers, straight from two highly respected voices in the field. The first teacher training text to cover all four learning disabilities that require differentiated instruction, dysgraphia, dyslexia, dyscalculia, and oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD), this book prepares educators to deliver explicit and engaging instruction customized to the needs of their students.
"This practical book outlines strategies and ideas which will support teachers to include more quality "learning talk" in their programmes and embed purposeful oral language opportunities across the curriculum. It contains research based ideas and activities and the resource material to translate this into classroom practice. The oral language book is a pick-up-and use resource that includes a wide range of photocopiable and downloadable material that can be used to support busy classroom teachers"--Back cover.
This highly regarded work brings together prominent authorities on vocabulary teaching and learning to provide a comprehensive yet concise guide to effective instruction. The book showcases practical ways to teach specific vocabulary words and word-learning strategies and create engaging, word-rich classrooms. Instructional activities and games for diverse learners are brought to life with detailed examples. Drawing on the most rigorous research available, the editors and contributors distill what PreK-8 teachers need to know and do to support all students' ongoing vocabulary growth and enjoyment of reading. New to This Edition*Reflects the latest research and instructional practices.*New section (five chapters) on pressing current issues in the field: assessment, authentic reading experiences, English language learners, uses of multimedia tools, and the vocabularies of narrative and informational texts.*Contributor panel expanded with additional leading researchers.
An integrated language arts approach to literacy development that brings early childhood perspectives on how children learn in pre-kindergarten though grade three, together with explicit teaching of literacy skills and strategies teachers need to make it all work. Pre-service and in-service teachers get a wealth of valuable information for making children active participants in the process of literacy development with this integrated approach to language arts. The book encourages teaching reading, writing, listening, thinking, and viewing at the same time, using each skill to develop the others, and discusses both constructivist problem-solving teaching and more explicit systematic instruction. Through both theoretical and research-based rationales, plus extensive practical applications, renowned author Lesley Mandel Morrow presents literacy development as an active process between children and adults to create meaning and real purpose–and helps pre- and in-service teachers grasp the scope and complexity of early literacy development. This comprehensive, balanced approach to literacy teaching and learning covers oral language development, word study, phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension, listening and writing. The reader is provided with a complete picture of early literacy development.
Conversing with others has given insights to different perspectives, helped build ideas, and solve problems. Academic conversations push students to think and learn in lasting ways. Academic conversations are back-and-forth dialogues in which students focus on a topic and explore it by building, challenging, and negotiating relevant ideas. In Academic Conversations: Classroom Talk that Fosters Critical Thinking and Content Understandings authors Jeff Zwiers and Marie Crawford address the challenges teachers face when trying to bring thoughtful, respectful, and focused conversations into the classroom. They identify five core communications skills needed to help students hold productive academic conversation across content areas: Elaborating and Clarifying Supporting Ideas with Evidence Building On and/or Challenging Ideas Paraphrasing Synthesizing This book shows teachers how to weave the cultivation of academic conversation skills and conversations into current teaching approaches. More specifically, it describes how to use conversations to build the following: Academic vocabulary and grammar Critical thinking skills such as persuasion, interpretation, consideration of multiple perspectives, evaluation, and application Literacy skills such as questioning, predicting, connecting to prior knowledge, and summarizing An academic classroom environment brimming with respect for others' ideas, equity of voice, engagement, and mutual support The ideas in this book stem from many hours of classroom practice, research, and video analysis across grade levels and content areas. Readers will find numerous practical activities for working on each conversation skill, crafting conversation-worthy tasks, and using conversations to teach and assess. Academic Conversations offers an in-depth approach to helping students develop into the future parents, teachers, and leaders who will collaborate to build a better world.
