Let's Begin Reading Right: A Developmental Approach to Emergent Literacy,sixth edition, takes a constructivist, developmental approach to emergent literacy for infants to 8-year olds. This revision includes new introductory chapters that cover current issues (NCLB, standards) about emergent literacy, new features "Developmentally Appropriate Practice in a NCLD World" and "Home-School Connections", and expanded coverage of working with English language learners. It includes chapters and discussions on oral language development, reading, writing, setting up classrooms for literacy activities, how to select and read children's literature, how to assess literacy development, and how to select teaching resources.

Marjorie V. Fields is Professor Emeritus of early childhood education at the University of Alaska Southeast. She coordinated early childhood graduate teacher education programs throughout the state of Alaska for many years. A former kindergarten and first grade teacher, she has studied how children become literate for several decades. She has published several articles in professional journals and chapters in edited books on the topic of emergent literacy and wrote the book Your Child Learns to Read and Write (1998) for parents. (Olney, MD: Association for Childhood Education International, 1998). With kindergarten teacher Deborah Hillstead, she also wrote a how-to book on literacy in pretend play, published by Scholastic. She has been active in early-childhood professional associations at the local, state, and national levels.  She is currently president of the National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NAECTE) and has served in several otherNAECTE leadership roles; she has also served on the governing board of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Her proudest accomplishments relate to raising two sons: Michael and David, fine men and loving fathers. Her new focus is her grandchildren Sarah, Caroline, and Jackson who are being closely documented during their emergent literacy processes.

 

Lois A. Groth is an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Education at George Mason University. A former elementary teacher, she now teaches literacy courses in the elementary education and literacy programs. As the university facilitator of a Professional Development School, Lois works with student interns and clinical faculty throughout Annandale Terrace Elementary School.  She has three young children, Kyle, Jennifer, and Sara, who help her practice reading and writing right.

 

Katherine L. (Katy) Spangler is a professor of education at the University of Alaska Southeast, where she coordinates a graduate teacher education program.  She teaches courses in literacy and children's literature. Examples of her children's work appear throughout Let's Begin Reading Right.  Patrick is now a college student and Mary is in high school; both have grown up to be good readers and effective writers.