"The wealth of this information is like finding a chest of jewels you always knew was under the ocean but now here it is-a wonderful discovery that validates everything I knew was right about teaching to the needs of the individual learner." -Leslie Morris, Reading First Coach Enhance your repertoire of literacy instructional strategies! Reading proficiency is the most fundamental learning skill, critical to students′ success. Renowned educators and authors Cathy Collins Block and Susan Israel present an indispensable guide that will give teachers and literacy coaches crystal clear understanding of the evidenced-based instructional practices required by Reading First Legislation, along with the tools to incorporate them. The authors further expand the support for enriched classroom practice through evidence and practical how-to advice for additional domains that show proven benefits for students, including writing, metacognition and oral language. Through their explanations, teaching directions, and sample lessons, this resource bridges the gap between key research and daily reading classroom teaching. It also summarizes the educator-relevant provisions and requirements of Reading First and the No Child Left Behind federal programs. Each chapter includes: Short classroom-relevant research summaries for teachers What teachers need to know about phonics, phonemic awareness, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency Lesson plans addressing each literacy domain Components to assess learning Strategies to differentiate for special learners, ELL, and advanced readers Reading First and Beyond is packed with enriching ideas for all educators that will enhance their list of literacy instructional strategies, helping them achieve high levels of reading proficiency from all students.

Table of Contents:
Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Introduction to No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Reading First (RF) 2. Research-Based Practices for Oral Language Development 3. Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Literacy: Phonemes and Phonemic Awareness 4. Phonics: The Building Blocks of Literacy 5. Vocabulary Development: Powerful Instruction for Reading Success 6. Achieve and Measure Reading Fluency: Expanding the Opportunity 7. Comprehension Instruction: Scientifically Validated Effective Methods 8. Independent Reading and Shared Reading of Trade Books 9. Making Students′ Writing Come Alive: Strategies for Teaching Writing 10. Metacognition: Monitoring Strategies to Enhance Reading Comprehension 11. Including Parents as True Partners References and Suggested Readings Index