With its balanced approach to reading instruction, Reading and Learning to Read, 4/e, remains a comprehensive, active learning tool that encourages students to teach reading in ways that are both meaningful and reflective. This renowned author team explores how beliefs about reading and writing influence the ways in which teachers work with children in classrooms and provides practical, effective strategies for helping all children learn to read.

Table of Contents:
(All Chapters begin with an Overview, Graphic Organizer and Vignette and end with a Summary, Teacher/Action Researcher and Key Terms.) 1. Knowledge and Beliefs about Reading. The Importance of Belief Systems. How Teachers Come to Know About Reading and Learning to Read. Cognitive Insights into Reading and Learning to Read. Reading from a Language Perspective. Models of Reading. 2. Balanced Instruction. Belief Systems and the Search for Balance. Curriculum Perspectives. Instructional Approaches. Achieving a Balanced Literacy Program. 3. Early Literacy: From Birth to School. Children's Development in Early Reading and Writing. Developmentally Appropriate Practices. 4. Inviting Beginners into the Literacy Club. Emergent Literacy Programs for Beginners. Learning Literacy Through Storybooks. Learning About the Relationships Between Speech and Print. Learning About Features of Written Language. Learning About Letters and Sounds. 5. Word Identification. Defining Word Identification. Phases of Development in Children's Ability to Identify Words. Implications for Word Identification. Approaches and Guidelines for Teaching Phonics. Strategies for Teaching Phonics. Using Meaning and Letter-Sound Information to Identify Words. Rapid Recognition of Words. 6. Reading Fluency. Defining Oral Reading Fluency. Developing Oral Reading Fluency. Routines for Fluency Development. Monitoring Oral Reading Fluency. Developing Silent Reading Fluency. 7. Reading Comprehension. Scaffolding the Development and Use of Comprehension Strategies. Developing Readers' Awareness of Story Structure. Guiding Interactions Between Reader and Text. 8. Vocabulary Knowledge and Concept Development. The Relationship Between Vocabulary and Comprehension. Experiences, Concepts, and Words. Principles to Guide Vocabulary Instruction. Best Practice: Strategies for Vocabulary and Concept Development. 9. Reading-Writing Connections. Relationships Between Reading and Writing. Creating Environments for Reading and Writing. Connecting Reading and Writing. Establishing a Predictable Structure for Writing. Reading-Writing-Technology Connections. 10. Bringing Children and Literature Together. Supporting a Community of Readers. Surrounding Children with Literature. Organizing for Literature-Based Instruction. Encouraging Responses to Literature. 11. Basal Readers and Instructional Materials. Historical Background. Characteristics of Basal Readers. Making Instructional Decisions. Instructional Materials. 12. Making the Transition to Content-Area Texts. Why Are Content-Area Textbooks Difficult? Using Literature and Nonfiction Trade Books Across the Curriculum. Strategies Before Reading. Extending Content Learning Through Reading and Writing. 13. Meeting the Literacy Needs of Diverse Learners. The Complexity of Diversity in Literacy Classrooms. Instructional Beliefs and Literacy Practices for Diverse Learners. Linguistic Diversity in Literacy Classrooms. Cultural Diversity in Literacy Classrooms. Academic and Cognitive Diversity in Literacy Classrooms. 14. Assessing Reading Performance. Toward a Corroborative Framework for Decision Making. Trends in Assessment. Formal Assessment. Informal Assessment. Portfolio Assessment. 15. Managing and Organizing an Effective Classroom. Improving Instruction. Individualizing Instruction. Putting It All Together: Organizing a Classroom Community. Appendix A: Beliefs About Reading Interview. Appendix B: The DeFord Theoretical Orientation to Reading Profile (TORP). Appendix C: Reading and Writing Accomplishments of Young Children by Grade Level. Appendix D: Trade Books that Repeat Phonic Elements. Appendix E: Story Frame Examples. Appendix F: Annotated Bibliography of Read-Aloud Books for Developing Phonemic Awareness. Appendix G: Children's Book Awards. Appendix H: Recommended Books for Multicultural Reading Experiences.