Based on the latest research and best thinking from literacy and language studies, curriculum and instructional practices, and educational psychology, Reading and Writing in Elementary Classrooms, 4/e, maintains its balanced approach to literacy instruction and its authors' commitment to helping all students learn to read. Thoroughly revised to reflect current research, this text focuses on thinking processes, on reading and writing as language, and on the importance of the affective domain. The unique narrative chapters in Part II provide an engaging, classroom-based introduction to "real life" for prospective teachers.

Table of Contents:
(Each Chapter begins with Looking Ahead and ends with Looking Back. All Part I Chapters include Add to Your Journal, Application Activities, References, and Additional Readings.)PART I. 1. About Reading and Writing. Thinking Is the Essence of Reading and Writing. Feeling Is the Energizer of Reading and Writing. Language Is the Foundation of Reading and Writing. The Children We Teach Have Individual, Cultural, and Language Differences. Reading and Writing Are Learned in a Variety of Ways. Children Need a Balanced Literacy Program. 2. Emergent Literacy. Emerging Readers and Writers Develop Seven Crucial Understandings About Print. Reading to Children Supports Emergent Literacy. Shared Reading With Predictable Big Books Supports Emergent Literacy. Accommodations and Adaptations for Phonemic Awareness. Shared Writing and Language Experience Activities Support Emergent Literacy. How Shared Writing and Language Experience Develop Crucial Understandings. Accommodations and Adaptations Using Language Experience and Shared Writing. Having Children Write Supports Emergent Literacy. Accept the Writing They Do. The Theory and Research Base for Emergent Literacy. 3. Word Identification, Phonics, and Spelling. Beginning Readers Must Develop Phonemic Awareness and Learn Some Letter Names and Sounds. Accommodations and Adaptations for Phonemic Awareness, Letter Names, and Sounds. Children Must Become Automatic at Reading and Spelling High-Frequency Words. Accommodations and Adaptations to Teach Sight Words. Children Must Develop Strategies for Decoding and Spelling Unknown Words. Knowledge of Morphemes Is Required for Multisyllabic Words. Children Become Fluent Decoders and Spellers When They Do Lots of Reading and Writing Throughout the School Day. Accommodations and Adaptations to Foster Fluency for Inclusion. The Theory and Research Base for Word Fluency Instruction. 4. Prior Knowledge and Meaning Vocabulary. Activate Prior Knowledge When Presenting New Ideas. Introduce Vocabulary in Meaningful Settings. Select Vocabulary for Special Attention. Represent Word Meanings Multiple Ways. Accommodations and Adaptations for Vocabulary. Develop Independence in Vocabulary Learning. Accommodations and Adaptations for Morphemic Analysis. Promote Vocabulary in All Subjects. The Theory and Research Base for Prior Knowledge Activation and Vocabulary Instruction. 5. Reading and Responding to Literature for Children. Welcome the Diverse World of Literature. Use Literature to Promote Thinking and Feeling. Accommodations and Adaptations-Just the Right Book. Link Reading and Writing Instruction With Children's Books. Schedule Daily Self-Selected Reading. Celebrate Book Response Projects. Enrich All Subjects With Literature. The Theory and Research Base for Reading and Responding to Literature for Children. 6. Comprehension. Reading Comprehension Requires Word Identification, Prior Knowledge, Strategies, and Engagement. Comprehension Can Be Developed With All Kinds of Materials in All Subjects. Comprehension Strategy Lessons Engage Students Before, During, and After Reading. Use a Variety of Lesson Frameworks to Meet Student Needs and Goals Accommodations and Adaptations That Develop Comprehension. Studying Requires Comprehension and More. The Theory and Research Base for Comprehension. 7. Writing. Self-Selected Writing Promotes Engagement. Accommodations and Adaptations That Develop Writing. Students Should Learn to Produce Certain Types of Writing. Accommodations and Adaptations That Develop Writing. Reading Can Support Writing, and Writing Can Support Reading. Students Should Write in All Subjects. The Theory and Research Base for Writing Instruction. 8. Planning, Assessing, and Organizing. Start Your Year With a Plan. Base Your Assessment on Valid and Reliable Observations. Use a Variety of Grouping Structures. Engage Parents as Partners. Enlist the Help of Others to Meet the Needs of All Your Students. The Theory and Research Base for Planning, Assessment, and Organization. PART II. The Retreat. Miss Launch: Kindergarten. Mrs. Wright: First Grade. Miss Nouveau: Second Grade. Mrs. Wise: Third Grade. Ms. Maverick: Fourth Grade. Mr. Dunn: Fifth Grade. Index.