Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- Historical overview: Changing beliefs about preschool literacy -- Stages of reading -- Program history and focus -- Strategies to promote positive literacy development -- Assessment -- Individual profile (four-and five-year-olds) -- Group profile -- Periodic assessment tool -- Writing anecdotal reports -- Portfolios -- Note about three-year-olds -- Individual profile (three-year-olds) -- Classroom Essentials -- Two foundations -- Twenty-one classroom essentials -- Effective calendars -- I'll wait timeline -- News bulletin boards -- Teacher photos -- Individual attendance devices -- Super star of the week -- Data-collecting activities -- Language experience stories -- Yearlong birthday calendar -- Helpers charts -- Words in the environment -- Song charts -- Alphabet and number charts -- Literacy centers -- Labeled bulletin boards -- Writing materials -- Word walls -- Maps -- Comfortable group meeting areas -- Classroom centers -- Field trips and resource people -- Music Of Literacy -- Importance of music for literacy development -- Use of music in early childhood programs -- Value of song charts -- Introducing a new song -- Where to find music for early-childhood programs -- Hush, Little Baby -- Pretty Colors -- Who Is Wearing -- If You Are Wearing -- This Old Man -- Ten in the Bed -- Ten Little Sailors -- Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes -- Hokey Pokey -- Alphabet Song -- B-I-N-G-O -- Old MacDonald Had a Farm -- Itsy, Bitsy Spider -- Connecting With The Home -- Successful strategies for working with families -- Sample family letter -- Lesson Activities -- Lesson Activity 1: Knows first and last name -- Lesson Activity 2: Writes first name and first letter of last name -- Lesson Activity 3: Repeats home address -- Lesson Activity 4: Knows purpose of and can dial 911 -- Lesson Activity 5: Recognizes eleven basic colors -- Lesson Activity 6: Counts form 1 to 31 -- Lesson Activity 7: Recognizes numerals 1 to 10 out of order -- Lesson Activity 8: Demonstrates an understanding of one-to-one correspondence -- Lesson Activity 9: Recites the alphabet -- Lesson Activity 10: Identifies at least ten uppercase letters out of order -- Identifies at least ten lowercase letters out of order -- Lesson Activity 11: Recognizes and names a square, circle, rectangle, and triangle -- Lesson Activity 12: Copies a square, circle, rectangle, and triangle -- Lesson Activity 13: Identifies basic body parts -- Lesson Activity 14: Reproduces basic body parts when drawing a person -- Lesson Activity 15: Demonstrates appropriate cutting skills -- Lesson Activity 16: Demonstrate appropriate pasting skills -- Lesson Activity 17: Understands the concept of print: knows the difference between a letter, a word, and a sentence -- Understands the concept of print: knows that print goes left to right and top to bottom with a return sweep -- Understands the concept of print: knows that the print tells the story and illustrations help tell the story -- Lesson Activity 18: Understands the concept of a story: knows that an author writes the story -- Understands the concept of a story: knows that an illustrator creates the pictures -- Understands the concept of a story: Knows that a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end -- Understands the concept of a story: Knows there are different characters in a story -- Understands the concept of a story: Knows the story has a setting where it takes place -- Understands the concept of a story: Knows that a conversation might take place -- Lesson Activity 19: Predicts what comes next in a story -- Lesson Activity 20: Retells a story with sufficient details -- Lesson Activity 21: Differentiates and reproduces rhyming sounds -- Lesson Activity 22: Differentiates and reproduces beginning sounds -- Lesson Activity 23: Shows growth in writing alphabet and picture code systems -- Lesson Activity 24: Reads simple stories using pictures and/or words -- Lesson Activity 25: Shows growth in vocabulary and language use -- Lesson Activity 26: Identifies common words found inside and outside the classroom -- Lesson Activity 27: Understands and uses comparative terms -- Lesson Activity 28: Shows initiative in engaging in simple reading and writing activities -- Journal writing -- Appendix -- Blackline masters -- Tips for families to encourage positive reading behaviors -- Family letter -- Name sheet (Lesson Activity 10) -- Dot-to-dot shapes (Lesson Activity 12) -- Fix the doll (Lesson Activity 13) -- Shapes to cut out (Lesson Activity 15) -- Cutting lines (Lesson Activity 15) -- Cutting a spiral (Lesson Activity 15) -- Folding a hat (Lesson Activity 15) -- Folding a cup (Lesson Activity 15) -- Shapes to paste (Lesson Activity 16) -- Beginning, middle, end (Lesson Activity 18) -- Stages of writing (Journal writing) -- Milestones for three- and four-year-olds -- I'll wait timeline.
Summary:
From the Publisher: With the right tools, early childhood professionals can help preschoolers build a strong educational foundation for kindergarten and beyond. This solid program, successfully piloted in preschools, uses developmentally appropriate learning activities to identify and shape children's early literacy skills. Lessons for Literacy includes learning activities, assessment tools, and sound pedagogy to help preschool-age children learn literacy basics such as print concepts, rhyming, and letter recognition.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.