Helping Your Children with Reading and Writing at Home By Mary Ann Colbert & Dr. William P. Colbert There really is no place like home when it comes to developing competent readers and writers. And with the aid of our new world changing guide the process and the goal of developing lifelong readers and writers will be greatly facilitated. Many years ago we set about finding out what type of reading and writing help parents and other adults were giving children and how it was working, We asked everyone and anyone who would talk with us and we came up with some rather startling information to share in our guide. Now talking with parents, grandparents. adults and children about the reading and writing activities they have experienced at home is second nature to us. Through the years, we have discovered that a great many things arc happening in American homes relative to helping children in these areas and even greater things are possible. The purpose of our book (We like to call it a guide.) is to awaken parents. grandparents and other adults, who work with children, to the great possibilities that are open to them that will revolutionize learning now and for future generations. The ideas, suggestions and strategies in our guide step off from the interests of the learners (which are the best indicators of what the children are ready and able to learn next) as opposed to curriculums and textbooks which often have an iron grip on what is available for young students to learn. We show our readers how to take advantage of the great knowledge they have about their children and how to use it to guide their children’s learning., and, more especially. to identify what is the next appropriate step for their children to take in their learning. All this is done in the home setting with family members participating and sharing the fruits of their learning labors. Besides giant leaps in learning, families can expect outstanding growth in family interpersonal relationships. The family is actually drawn closer together by sharing their diverse interests.. At the onset of the guide adults are asked to compare their thinking on reading and writing learning with some of the experts in the field via a true-false checklist. This technique totally involves parents with the book from the start. and parents are often surprised to see how their thinking coincides with experts in the field. The next section contains three case studies that illustrate, in detail, exactly what some very effective adults did to further the reading and writing skills of the children with whom they worked. The third sections contain some precise strategies that parents and other adults can begin using today with their children. The next sections identifies what children see as effective reading and writing strategies that are used by parents and their teachers. Section five is a summary of some ideas of some great teachers of reading and writing. The ideas here are undergirded by some sound learning principles which every adult, who works with children, will want to know about. The final section ends much like the guide begins with a checklist of some true - false items that will help guide parents and other adults to increasing success in helping their children with reading and writing at home.

"Learning to Write and Loving It! equips teachers of young children with practical strategies, assessment tools, and motivating writing activities that are based on current research and proven practice and are easily applicable to all kinds of learning environments. Included are many authentic writing samples and photos to illustrate effective, developmentally appropriate instructional methods, mini-lessons, and activities. Sought-after author and speaker Miriam P. Trehearne demonstrates how to scaffold play and literacy learning and how to easily link assessment to instruction. Key features: differentiate using effective instructional approaches for teaching writing and supporting inquiry and play; assess and document student writing seamlessly throughout the day; motivate and engage children in writing fiction (narrative), nonfiction, poetry, and song; enjoy learning with a powerful collection of vignettes from real classrooms, and use teacher-friendly guidelines for effectively integrating technology and selecting software for young children. A companion CD offers modifiable reproducibles, observation checklists, assessments, and projects for parents to do with their young children. Learn how to successfully scaffold writing, and, in the process, foster cross-curricular skills in science, social studies, and math. Research shows that writing provides a strong foundation for literacy development. Further, writing helps children express themselves, clarify their thinking, communicate ideas, and integrate new information into their knowledge base."--Publisher.

Looking for a way to make conferring with children more manageable and effective? Veteran teacher Laura Robb delivers a menu of reading and writing conferences that won't eat up precious class time, including spotlighting conferences, making-the-rounds, and debriefing talks. Filled with teacher-student conference dialogues, how-tos for finding conference topics within student work, management tips, sample schedules, conference assessment reproducibles, and more. Covers one-on-one, partner, small group and whole class conferences. For use with Grades 4-8.

There’s a Writer in Our House! is an invitation to parents of children in first grade through fifth grade interested in actively participating in their children’s early literacy learning from the very first steps. Founded upon well-researched literacy instructional methods that have been informed by the author’s clinical perspective as well as her years of experience with many kinds of learners, this book provides a valuable understanding of how both writing and reading contribute to child development in multiple areas. Chapters provide background concepts regarding grammar and specific critical thinking skills in both writing and reading as well as customizable, child-centered activities used to practice and build writing and reading comprehension skills. You will learn how to advance and encourage your child’s learning and communication skills by highlighting important literacy areas such as vocabulary development, background knowledge, and critical thinking. You will also learn to recognize and track the significant developmental achievements of your child as you proceed from the early to the more complex At-Home activities, as well as receive strategies for how to respond and give feedback in specific situations, such as when a child writes something that makes sense to the child but not to the parent, how to offer feedback that identifies and labels a child’s strengths, and how to collaborate effectively with a child who is just developing new interests or a new willingness to try something that previously seemed “hard.” Practical, accessible, and most importantly, fun, this book is a must-read for all parents, regardless of background, seeking to support their children’s ongoing literacy development confidently and effectively.

Help Your Child to Read: Teach Yourself shows you how to develop your child's skills and foster a love of books from an early age. From discovering the benefits of singing and rhyming together to learning letters and later helping them at school, it gives you all the practical advice you need to confidently help your child, whatever their age and reading ability. Teach Yourself - the world's leading learning brand - is relaunched in 2010 as a multi-platform experience that will keep you motivated to achieve your goals. Let our expert author guide you through this brand new edition, with personal insights, tips, energising self-tests and summaries throughout the book. Go online at www.teachyourself.com for tests, extension articles and a vibrant community of like-minded learners. And if you don't have much time, don't worry - every book gives you 1, 5 and 10-minute bites of learning to get you started. - Gives your child a head start - Shows you how to read with your baby - Explains how to teach basic letters - Shows you how to help them make progress at school

Reading in Chinese as an Additional Language focuses on Chinese literacy acquisition, which has been considered most difficult by both learners and teachers of Chinese as an additional language (CAL). Three major areas are covered: (1) acquisition of Chinese characters; (2) reading comprehension subskills and reader’s identity; (3) reading instruction and assessment. The first part delves into the foundation of Chinese literacy development—how to learn and teach Chinese characters. The second part examines various learners’ reading comprehension subskills, as well as the evolution of learners’ literacy identity. The third part explores effective instructional methods and assessment practices for CAL reading development. Theoretically, this book provides frameworks and evidence from both cognitive and sociocultural perspectives on the nature of CAL reading development. Pedagogically, the book showcases how to teach and assess CAL reading skills. Methodologically, this book includes empirical studies using both qualitative and quantitative methods. In terms of scope, the book covers a much broader spectrum of issues about CAL reading research and classroom teaching than has previously been available. Writing is also discussed in several chapters. In terms of technology, the book includes discussion on how the use of computers, the Internet, and social media impacts students’ Chinese literacy acquisition. This book will help CAL researchers and educators better understand the nature of CAL reading development and become well informed about CAL classroom teaching and assessment, including the application of interactive approaches to teaching and assessing diverse reading skills.

Grounded in a strong evidence base, this indispensable practitioner guide and text has given thousands of teachers tools to support the literacy growth of beginning and struggling readers in grades K?2. The interactive strategies approach (ISA) is organized around core instructional goals related to enhancing word learning and comprehension of text. The book provides guidance for assessment and instruction in whole-class, small-group, and one-to-one settings, using the curricular materials teachers already have. Purchasers get access to a companion website where they can download and print 26 reproducible forms in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size. Of special value, the website also features nearly 200 pages of additional printable forms, handouts, and picture sorts that supplement the book's content. New to This Edition *Incorporates the latest research on literacy development and on the ISA. *Describes connections to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). *Explains how to use the ISA with English learners. *Chapter on fluency. *Expanded coverage of morphological knowledge. *Companion website with downloadable reproducible tools and extensive supplemental materials.