Reading and Writing in Preschool: Teaching the Essentials

by Renée M. Casbergue PhD, Dorothy S. Strickland PhD

Overview

This book describes effective, engaging ways to build young children's print concepts and alphabetic knowledge, which are crucial for both reading and writing development. Presenting shared reading, shared writing, and targeted instructional activities, each chapter features helpful classroom vignettes, a section debunking myths about preschool literacy, and Ideas for Discussion, Reflection, and Action. Strategies are provided for creating print-rich classroom and home environments and differentiating instruction for diverse students, including English language learners. The book also discusses how to assess preschoolers' reading and writing progress. Reproducible checklists and parent handouts can be downloaded and printed in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781462523498
Publisher:	Guilford Publications, Inc.
Publication date:	12/08/2015
Series:	Best Practices in Action Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	164
File size:	9 MB
Age Range:	4 Years

About the Author

Renée M. Casbergue, PhD, is the Vira Franklin and James R. Eagle Professor of Education at Louisiana State University, where she currently serves as director of the early childhood teacher preparation program and is a member of the literacy faculty. A former classroom teacher and reading specialist, she has served as president of the Literacy Development in Young Children Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association (IRA; now International Literacy Association). Dr. Casbergue received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Early Reading First (ERF) program to create centers of excellence for early literacy in preschool classrooms in New Orleans public schools after serving as a consultant and external evaluator for ERF projects in four other states. She has published widely on effective learning and teaching in preschool and the primary grades. 

Dorothy S. Strickland, PhD, is the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Professor of Education (Emerita) at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, and Distinguished Research Fellow of the National Institute for Early Education Research. A former classroom teacher, reading consultant, and learning disabilities specialist, she is a past president of both the IRA and the Reading Hall of Fame. Dr. Strickland is a recipient of the Outstanding Teacher Educator of Reading Award from IRA, the Outstanding Educator in the Language Arts Award from the National Council of Teachers of English, and the Ferguson Award for Outstanding Contributions to Early Childhood Education from National Louis University. She has published numerous articles, book chapters, and books on early childhood education.

Table of Contents

1. Where Reading and Writing Begin
2. Preschool Contexts for Literacy Development and Learning
3. Connecting Oral Language to Print Knowledge
4. Developing Print and Alphabetic Knowledge for Reading
5. Developing Alphabetic Knowledge for Writing
6. Assessing Print Knowledge for Reading in Preschool
7. Assessing Writing Development in Preschool

Interviews

PreK teachers; early literacy specialists; preschool program administrators; teacher educators and students. May serve as a supplemental text in such courses as Early Childhood Education and Early Literacy Development and Learning.

Editorial Reviews

"Informative, objective, insightful, and filled with practical applications. Both authors are experts in the field, which greatly contributes to the book’s significance. Casbergue and Strickland have done an outstanding job synthesizing the most current, relevant research on teaching reading and writing in preschool. This book should be on every preschool teacher’s shelf."—Susan J. Kimmel, PhD, Executive Director, Center for Early Childhood Professional Development, University of Oklahoma

"This book is such a wonderful resource for all teachers, especially new teachers. It gives background and insight on how to organize activities that will stimulate early reading skills and promote writing."—Shawn B. Tolliver, MAT, PreK teacher, Fannie C. Williams Charter School, New Orleans

"Casbergue and Strickland have succeeded in turning findings from scientifically based reading research into strategies for supporting children’s print and alphabetic knowledge. The best thing about this book is that it situates early literacy both developmentally and within the child's family and school relationships. It provides a much deeper presentation of foundational literacy skills than the many other books that cover these skills in isolation or offer a cookbook-like approach to activities. Of particular note is the care and attention given to the often-neglected area of writing development. This book would be an excellent text for an undergraduate course on supporting early literacy or an inservice teacher study group."—Martha Buell, PhD, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Delaware

From the Publisher