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Bridge to Practice Letters: Mastering the Fundamentals of Handwriting
Introduction:
Are you searching for effective strategies to help young learners transition from pre-writing skills to confidently forming letters? The journey from scribbles to legible handwriting can be challenging, but with the right approach, it can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. This comprehensive guide delves into the crucial "Bridge to Practice Letters," exploring practical techniques, engaging activities, and essential considerations for parents and educators alike. We'll cover everything from setting the stage for success to troubleshooting common handwriting difficulties, ensuring your child develops a strong foundation in letter formation. This isn't just about neatness; it's about building confidence, improving fine motor skills, and fostering a love of writing.
I. Preparing the Groundwork: Pre-Writing Skills and Readiness
Before tackling letter formation directly, it's crucial to assess and develop essential pre-writing skills. These foundational abilities lay the groundwork for successful handwriting development:
Fine Motor Skills Development: Activities like playing with playdough, using tweezers to pick up small objects, stringing beads, and using scissors strengthen the small muscles in the hands and fingers necessary for controlled writing movements.
Grip Development: Encourage a proper tripod grasp (holding the writing tool with the thumb and first two fingers) through playful activities involving crayons, markers, and chunky pencils. Avoid overly tight grips which can lead to fatigue and discomfort.
Hand-Eye Coordination: Simple games like tracing shapes, connecting dots, and following mazes improve hand-eye coordination, essential for accurately forming letters.
Spatial Awareness: Activities like building blocks, puzzles, and drawing simple shapes help children develop an understanding of space and proportions, crucial for letter spacing and size consistency.
II. Introducing Letters: Strategies for Effective Teaching
Introducing letters effectively involves a multi-sensory approach that caters to different learning styles:
Multi-Sensory Learning: Engage multiple senses to reinforce letter recognition and formation. Use tactile letters (made from sandpaper, foam, or clay), visual aids (flashcards, charts), auditory cues (letter sounds), and kinesthetic activities (tracing letters in sand or shaving cream).
Start with Simple Shapes: Many letters are composed of basic shapes (circles, lines, curves). Begin by practicing these shapes before introducing more complex letters. This builds confidence and breaks down the writing process into manageable steps.
Letter Formation Strategies: Teach consistent and efficient letter formation strategies. For example, introduce the starting point for each letter and the direction of strokes. Use visual aids like arrows to demonstrate the correct path.
Focus on One Letter at a Time: Avoid overwhelming young learners by focusing on mastering one or two letters at a time before moving on to others. Repetition and practice are key to developing automaticity.
III. Practice Makes Perfect: Engaging Activities for Handwriting Development
Sustained practice is crucial for solidifying letter formation skills. Make practice fun and engaging to avoid frustration:
Tracing Activities: Provide worksheets with dotted or dashed letters for tracing. Gradually reduce the guidance as the child gains confidence.
Copywork: Have children copy simple words or short sentences from a sample text. This reinforces letter recognition and improves spacing.
Creative Writing Prompts: Encourage creative writing activities, such as drawing pictures and then labeling them with words. This integrates writing into a meaningful context.
Interactive Games: Use educational apps or online games that focus on handwriting practice. Make it a game to increase engagement and motivation.
Real-World Applications: Encourage writing in everyday situations, such as writing shopping lists, making cards, or writing notes.
IV. Addressing Common Handwriting Challenges:
Handwriting difficulties are common, and understanding their root causes is crucial for effective intervention:
Grip Issues: If a child is struggling with a proper grip, provide adaptive writing tools like triangular pencils or ergonomic pens.
Letter Reversals: If a child frequently reverses letters (e.g., b and d), use multi-sensory techniques to reinforce letter orientation and provide specific practice exercises.
Spacing and Sizing Issues: Practice activities focusing on spacing and sizing can help address these common problems. Use visual cues like lines to guide spacing.
Fatigue and Frustration: Keep practice sessions short and enjoyable to avoid fatigue and frustration. Celebrate small successes to build confidence.
V. The Role of Parents and Educators:
Successful handwriting development requires the collaborative effort of parents and educators:
Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and praise effort rather than solely focusing on perfection. Celebrate progress and build confidence.
Patience and Understanding: Learning to write takes time and effort. Be patient and understanding, providing consistent support and encouragement.
Consistent Practice: Regular, short practice sessions are more effective than infrequent, lengthy ones. Incorporate handwriting practice into daily routines.
Collaboration: Parents and educators should communicate regularly to monitor progress and adapt strategies as needed.
Sample Book Outline: "Bridge to Practice Letters: A Parent's Guide to Handwriting Success"
Introduction: The importance of handwriting, pre-writing skills, and setting the stage for success.
Chapter 1: Developing Pre-Writing Skills: Fine motor skills, grip development, hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness.
Chapter 2: Introducing Letters Effectively: Multi-sensory learning, letter formation strategies, starting with simple shapes, and focusing on one letter at a time.
Chapter 3: Engaging Activities for Practice: Tracing, copywork, creative writing prompts, interactive games, and real-world applications.
Chapter 4: Addressing Common Challenges: Grip issues, letter reversals, spacing and sizing problems, fatigue and frustration.
Chapter 5: The Role of Parents and Educators: Positive reinforcement, patience, consistent practice, and collaboration.
Conclusion: Celebrating successes and continuing the journey towards confident handwriting.
(Detailed explanation of each chapter would follow here, expanding on the points outlined above. Due to length constraints, this detailed explanation is omitted, but it would mirror the information already provided in the main body of the blog post, expanding on each section with more specific examples, activities, and resources.)
FAQs:
1. At what age should I start teaching my child to write letters? Most children are ready to begin formal letter formation around age 4 or 5, but focus on pre-writing skills earlier.
2. What if my child reverses letters? This is common. Use multi-sensory strategies and focus on letter orientation.
3. How can I make handwriting practice more engaging? Incorporate games, creative activities, and real-world applications.
4. My child gets frustrated easily. What should I do? Keep practice sessions short, celebrate small successes, and focus on effort, not perfection.
5. What type of writing tools are best for young learners? Start with chunky pencils or crayons, transitioning to triangular pencils or ergonomic pens as needed.
6. Is it important for my child to have perfect handwriting? Neatness is important, but focus more on letter formation and fluency.
7. How often should my child practice handwriting? Short, regular practice sessions (10-15 minutes) are more effective than infrequent, longer ones.
8. What if my child has a learning disability that affects handwriting? Consult with an occupational therapist or special education teacher for individualized support.
9. How can I tell if my child needs additional help with handwriting? If your child consistently struggles with letter formation, exhibits significant frustration, or falls behind peers, seek professional assistance.
Related Articles:
1. Developing Fine Motor Skills in Preschoolers: Explores activities to enhance fine motor control, crucial for writing.
2. The Importance of Pre-Writing Skills: Highlights the foundational skills needed before formal letter introduction.
3. Multi-Sensory Learning Strategies for Handwriting: Details techniques to engage multiple senses in handwriting instruction.
4. Troubleshooting Common Handwriting Difficulties: Offers practical solutions to common handwriting challenges.
5. Adaptive Writing Tools for Young Learners: Reviews different writing tools designed to improve grip and comfort.
6. Fun and Engaging Handwriting Activities: Provides a collection of games and activities to make practice enjoyable.
7. Handwriting and Learning Disabilities: Discusses handwriting difficulties associated with specific learning disabilities.
8. The Role of Parents in Handwriting Development: Emphasizes the importance of parental involvement and support.
9. Handwriting Curriculum for Early Elementary: Reviews various handwriting curriculums available for young learners.
| bridge to practice letrs: Essentials of Assessing, Preventing, and Overcoming Reading Difficulties David A. Kilpatrick, 2015-08-10 Practical, effective, evidence-based reading interventions that change students' lives Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties is a practical, accessible, in-depth guide to reading assessment and intervention. It provides a detailed discussion of the nature and causes of reading difficulties, which will help develop the knowledge and confidence needed to accurately assess why a student is struggling. Readers will learn a framework for organizing testing results from current assessment batteries such as the WJ-IV, KTEA-3, and CTOPP-2. Case studies illustrate each of the concepts covered. A thorough discussion is provided on the assessment of phonics skills, phonological awareness, word recognition, reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Formatted for easy reading as well as quick reference, the text includes bullet points, icons, callout boxes, and other design elements to call attention to important information. Although a substantial amount of research has shown that most reading difficulties can be prevented or corrected, standard reading remediation efforts have proven largely ineffective. School psychologists are routinely called upon to evaluate students with reading difficulties and to make recommendations to address such difficulties. This book provides an overview of the best assessment and intervention techniques, backed by the most current research findings. Bridge the gap between research and practice Accurately assess the reason(s) why a student struggles in reading Improve reading skills using the most highly effective evidence-based techniques Reading may well be the most important thing students are taught during their school careers. It is a skill they will use every day of their lives; one that will dictate, in part, later life success. Struggling students need help now, and Essentials of Understanding and Assessing Reading Difficulties shows how to get these students on track. |
| bridge to practice letrs: 17,000 Classroom Visits Can't Be Wrong John V. Antonetti, James R. Garver, 2015-02-20 Most educators are skilled at planning instruction and determining what they will do during the course of a lesson. However, to truly engage students in worthwhile, rigorous cognition, a profound shift is necessary: a shift in emphasis from teaching to learning. Put another way, we know that whoever is doing the work is also doing the learning—and in most classrooms, teachers are working much too hard. Authors John V. Antonetti and James R. Garver are the designers of the Look 2 Learning model of classroom walkthroughs. They've visited more than 17,000 classrooms—examining a variety of teaching and learning conditions, talking to students, examining their work, and determining their levels of thinking and engagement. From this vast set of data, they've drawn salient lessons that provide valuable insight into how to smooth the transition from simply planning instruction to designing high-quality student work. The lessons John and Jim have learned from their 17,000 (and counting) classroom visits can't be wrong. They share those lessons in this book, along with stories of successful practice and practical tools ready for immediate classroom application. The authors also provide opportunities for reflection and closure designed to help you consider (or reconsider) your current beliefs and practices. Throughout, you will hear the voices of John and Jim—and the thousands of students they met—as they provide a map for shifting the classroom dynamic from teaching to learning. |
| bridge to practice letrs: The Gillingham Manual Anna Gillingham, Bessie Whitmore Stillman, 1997 In this multisensory phonics technique, students first learn the sounds of letters, and the build these letter-sounds into words. Visual, auditory and kinesthetic associations are used to remember the concepts. Training is recommended. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Ready to Read Mary Lupiani Farrell, Francie M. Matthews, 2010 A straightforward, reader-friendly guide to teaching comprehension, this book prepares teachers for one of their most important tasks—helping all their students make the critical leap from learning to read to reading to learn. |
| bridge to practice letrs: The Fluent Reader Timothy V. Rasinski, 2003 Introduces oral reading teaching methods for developing word recognition and comprehension in students. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Phonemic Awareness Michael Heggerty, 2003-01-01 |
| bridge to practice letrs: Knowledge to Support the Teaching of Reading Catherine Snow, Peg Griffin, M. Susan Burns, 2007-08-17 Basic reading proficiency is key to success in all content areas, but attending to students’ literacy development remains a challenge for many teachers, especially after the primary grades. Knowledge to Support the Teaching of Reading presents recommendations for the essential knowledge about the development, acquisition, and teaching of language and literacy skills that teachers need to master and use. This important book is one result of an initiative of the National Academy of Education's Committee on Teacher Education, whose members have been charged with the task of creating a core knowledge base for teacher education. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction Susan M. Smartt, Deborah R. Glaser, 2023-09 This fully revised and updated edition of Next STEPS in Literacy Instruction links classroom screening and assessment with Tier 2 instruction and intervention, serving as a planning guide for K-6 educators-- |
| bridge to practice letrs: Teaching for Biliteracy Karen Beeman, Cheryl Urow, 2022 |
| bridge to practice letrs: Collaborative Models and Frameworks for Inclusive Educator Preparation Programs Sande, Beverly, Kemp, Charles William, 2022-07-15 The intricacies of providing quality education for school-age children can best be realized through collaboration between practitioners. This same ideology has infiltrated education preparation programs, encouraging the emphasis on collaborative methodologies of program design, development, implementation, and evaluation. This context presents a huge challenge for many education preparation programs, but one that has been partially realized in some states through large-scale reform models. Collaborative Models and Frameworks for Inclusive Educator Preparation Programs provides relevant theoretical frameworks and the latest empirical research findings in collaborative strategies in educator preparation programs and addresses the impact on accreditation and changes in policies as a result of large-scale collaborative models. Covering topics such as education reforms, social justice, teacher education, and literacy instruction, this reference work is ideal for teachers, instructional designers, administrators, curriculum developers, policymakers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, and students. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Dictionary of the British English Spelling System Greg Brooks, 2015-03-30 This book will tell all you need to know about British English spelling. It's a reference work intended for anyone interested in the English language, especially those who teach it, whatever the age or mother tongue of their students. It will be particularly useful to those wishing to produce well-designed materials for teaching initial literacy via phonics, for teaching English as a foreign or second language, and for teacher training. English spelling is notoriously complicated and difficult to learn; it is correctly described as much less regular and predictable than any other alphabetic orthography. However, there is more regularity in the English spelling system than is generally appreciated. This book provides, for the first time, a thorough account of the whole complex system. It does so by describing how phonemes relate to graphemes and vice versa. It enables searches for particular words, so that one can easily find, not the meanings or pronunciations of words, but the other words with which those with unusual phoneme-grapheme/grapheme-phoneme correspondences keep company. Other unique features of this book include teacher-friendly lists of correspondences and various regularities not described by previous authorities, for example the strong tendency for the letter-name vowel phonemes (the names of the letters ) to be spelt with those single letters in non-final syllables. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Words Their Way Donald R. Bear, Marcia Invernizzi, Shane Templeton, Francine R. Johnston, 2012 Words Their Way is a hands-on, developmentally driven approach to word study that illustrates how to integrate and teach children phonics, vocabulary, and spelling skills. This fifth edition features updated activities, expanded coverage of English learners, and emphasis on progress monitoring. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Fundamentals of Literacy Instruction & Assessment, Pre-K-6 Martha Clare Hougen, Susan M. Smartt, 2020 This core text introduces pre-service teachers to the essential components of literacy and describes how to effectively deliver explicit, evidence-based instruction on each component-- |
| bridge to practice letrs: Speech to Print Louisa Cook Moats, 2010 With extensive updates and enhancements to every chapter, the new edition of Speech to Print fully prepares today's literacy educators to teach students with or without disabilities. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Secret Stories Katherine Garner, 2016-07-01 An educational toolkit for teaching phonics, consisting of a book, posters and musical CD, all of which provides for multiple options and inputs for learning, including: visual-icons, auditory and kinesthetic motor skill manipulations, as well as a variety of dramatic and emotive cuing-systems designed to target the affective learning domain. This backdoor-approach to phonemic skill acquisition is based on current neural research on Learning & the Brain--specifically how our brains actually learn best!The Secret Stories® primary purpose is to equip beginning (or struggling, upper grade) readers and writers, as well as their instructors, with the tools necessary to easily and effectively crack the secret reading and writing codes that lie beyond the alphabet, and effectively out of reach for so many learners! It is not a phonics program! Rather, it simply provides the missing pieces learners need to solve the complex reading puzzle--one that some might never solve otherwise! The Secrets(tm) are sure to become one of the most valuable, well-used, and constantly relied-upon teaching tools in your instructional repertoire! |
| bridge to practice letrs: Inner Speech Peter Langland-Hassan, Agustín Vicente, 2018 Inner Speech focuses on a familiar and yet mysterious element of our daily lives. In light of renewed interest in the general connections between thought, language, and consciousness, this anthology develops a number of important new theories about internal voices and raises questions about their nature and cognitive functions. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Reading for Life Lyn Stone, 2018-12-07 Why is it that more people can’t read and write? Why are there still so many vastly different methods of teaching literacy? Why do people still argue about it? Reading for Life examines these three questions, addressing the less evidence supported ideas about teaching reading and writing which are still alive and well in schools all over the world. This accessible guide bridges the gap between research and practice, translating academic findings into practical suggestions and ready-to-use techniques. Written in an approachable style and with informative graphics, vignettes and interviews woven throughout, this book covers: the components of literacy, including phonics, vocabulary and fluency the history of approaches to literacy teaching and an overview of the key figures government-level inquiries into the provision of reading and writing teaching the mindset which leads to acceptance of poor practice the essential components of an effective literacy program with practical advice on selecting resources to get the job done well Reading for Life helps educational practitioners make informed decisions about which teaching methods to reject and select, and empowers parents to ask the right questions of professionals and policy makers. This book is a timely exploration of poor teaching methods and is an innovative, fresh assessment of how high quality literacy teaching can be provided for all. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Implementing Evidence-Based Academic Interventions in School Settings Sylvia Rosenfield, Virginia Wise Berninger, 2009-02-26 Designed for both researchers and practitioners, this book is a guide to bridging the gap between the knowledge generated by scientific research and application of that knowledge to educational practice. With the emphasis on evidence-based practice in the schools growing exponentially, school practitioners must learn how to understand, judge, and make use of the research being produced to full effect. Conversely, researchers must understand what is being used in real-world settings, and what is still needed.The editors of this book have outlined this process as a series of steps, beginning with being a critical consumer of current research literature, followed by concepts to consider in translating research into practice: systems issues at local, district, and state levels; the role of teachers in program implementation; evaluation of implementation effectiveness, and preservice and inservice professional development of teachers and psychologists. Each chapter is written by leaders on the topic, and contributors include both researchers and school-based practitioners.With contributing authors from a variety of disciplines, this book is an invaluable treatise on current understanding of the complexities of translating research into educational practice. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Bringing Words to Life Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown, Linda Kucan, 2013-01-31 Hundreds of thousands of teachers have used this highly practical guide to help K–12 students enlarge their vocabulary and get involved in noticing, understanding, and using new words. Grounded in research, the book explains how to select words for instruction, introduce their meanings, and create engaging learning activities that promote both word knowledge and reading comprehension. The authors are trusted experts who draw on extensive experience in diverse classrooms and schools. Sample lessons and vignettes, children's literature suggestions, Your Turn learning activities, and a Study Guide for teachers enhance the book's utility as a classroom resource, professional development tool, or course text. The Study Guide can also be downloaded and printed for ease of use (www.guilford.com/beck-studyguide). New to This Edition *Reflects over a decade of advances in research-based vocabulary instruction. *Chapters on vocabulary and writing; assessment; and differentiating instruction for struggling readers and English language learners, including coverage of response to intervention (RTI). *Expanded discussions of content-area vocabulary and multiple-meaning words. *Many additional examples showing what robust instruction looks like in action. *Appendix with a useful menu of instructional activities. See also the authors' Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples, which includes specific instructional sequences for different grade ranges, as well as Making Sense of Phonics, Second Edition: The Hows and Whys, by Isabel L. Beck and Mark E. Beck, an invaluable resource for K–3. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Educating the Other America Susan B. Neuman, 2008 Breaking the cycle of poverty by improving education and literacy: that's the ultimate goal of this trailblazing book from top experts. Educating the Other America brings together more than 30 of the biggest names in education to tackle the challenges faced by children who live below the poverty line - and offer fresh, cutting-edge ideas for closing the achievement gap. Representing the most creative thinking from the best minds in education, this groundbreaking resource illuminates the challenges of poverty and gives professionals the knowledge they need to help students succeed - both in school and for the rest of their lives.--BOOK JACKET. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Spanish Sentence Builders - A Lexicogrammar Approach Dylan Viñales, Gianfranco Conti, 2021-05 This is the newly updated SECOND EDITION! This version has been fully re-checked for accuracy and re-formatted to make it even more user-friendly, following feedback after a full year of classroom use by thousands of teachers across the world. Spanish Sentence Builders is a workbook aimed at beginner to pre-intermediate students co-authored by two modern languages educators with over 40 years of extensive classroom experience between the two, both in the UK and internationally. This 'no-frills' book contains 19 units of work on very popular themes, jam-packed with graded vocabulary-building, reading, translation, retrieval practice and writing activities. Key vocabulary, lexical patterns and structures are recycled and interleaved throughout. Each unit includes: 1) A sentence builder modelling the target constructions; 2) A set of vocabulary building activities; 3) A set of narrow reading texts exploited through a range of tasks focusing on both the meaning and structural levels of the text; 4) A set of retrieval-practice translation tasks; 5) A set of writing tasks targeting essential micro-skills such as spelling, lexical retrieval, syntax, editing and communication of meaning. Based on the Extensive Processing Instruction (E.P.I.) principle that learners learn best from comprehensible and highly patterned input flooded with the target linguistic features, the authors have carefully designed each and every text and activity to enable the student to process and produce each item many times over. This occurs throughout each unit of work as well as in smaller grammar, vocabulary and question-skills micro-units located at regular intervals in the book, which aim at reinforcing the understanding and retention of the target grammar, vocabulary and question patterns. |
| bridge to practice letrs: LETRS Louisa Moats, 2004-01-01 Teaches the meaning of scientific findings about learning to read and reading instruction. The modules address each component of reading instruction and the foundational concepts that link these components. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Foundations of Reading Acquisition and Dyslexia Benita A. Blachman, 2013-03-07 The chapters in this volume are based on presentations made at a recent conference on cognitive and linguistic foundations of reading acquisition. The researchers who participated have all made contributions to the theoretical and empirical understanding of how children learn to read. They were asked to address not only what they have learned from their research, but also to discuss unsolved problems. This dialogue prompted numerous questions of both a theoretical and applied nature, generated heated debate, and fueled optimism about the important gains that have been made in the scientific understanding of the reading process, especially of the critical role played by phonological abilities. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension Jane Oakhill, Kate Cain, Carsten Elbro, 2014-08-21 The ultimate aim of reading is not the process but to understand what we read and comprehension can take place at many different levels. There has been an increasing emphasis on the importance of reading comprehension in recent years but despite this there is very little written on this vital topic accessible to trainee and practicing teachers. The Handbook of Reading Comprehension presents an overview of recent findings on reading comprehension and comprehension problems in children. It provides a detailed examination of the characteristics of children who have reading comprehension difficulties, and examines ways in which comprehension can be supported and improved. It is accessibly written for students and professionals with no previous background in the psychology of reading or reading problems. This indispensable handbook asks the question ‘what is comprehension?’ The authors consider comprehension of different units of language: understanding single words, sentences, and connected prose and outline what readers (and listeners) have to do to successfully understand an extended text. This book also considers comprehension for different purposes, in particular reading for pleasure and reading to learn and explores how reader characteristics such as interest and motivation can influence the comprehension process. Different skills contribute to successful reading comprehension. These include word reading ability, vocabulary knowledge, syntactic skills, memory, and discourse level skills such as the ability to make inferences, knowledge about text structure, and metacognitive skills. The authors discuss how each one contributes to the development of reading comprehension skill and how the development of these skills (or their precursors) in pre-readers, provides the foundation for reading comprehension development. Areas covered include:- Word reading and comprehension Development of comprehension skills Comprehension difficulties Assessment Teaching for improvement Throughout the text successful experimental and classroom based interventions will be highlighted, practical tips for teachers and summary boxes detailing key points and explaining technical terms will be included in each chapter |
| bridge to practice letrs: 501 Sentence Completion Questions , 2004 High school entrance exams, PSAT, SAT, and GRE, as well as professional and civil service qualifying exams, use vocabulary words in context to test verbal aptitude. Test-takers must choose the correct word out of five possible choices. Correct answers are fully explained using their definitions, to reinforce skills. |
| bridge to practice letrs: A Fresh Look at Phonics, Grades K-2 Wiley Blevins, 2016-06-17 In a Fresh Look at Phonics, Wiley Blevins, author of the blockbuster Phonics from A-Z, explains the 7 ingredients of phonics instruction that lead to the greatest student gains, based on two decades of research in classrooms. For each of these seven must-haves, Wiley shares lessons, routines, word lists, tips for ELL and advanced learners, and advice on pitfalls to avoid regarding pacing, decodable texts, transition time, and more. A Fresh Look at Phonics is the evidence-based solution you have been seeking that ensures all students develop a solid foundation for reading. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Theories of Reading Development Kate Cain, Donald L. Compton, Rauno K. Parrila, 2017-08-15 The use of printed words to capture language is one of the most remarkable inventions of humankind, and learning to read them is one of the most remarkable achievements of individuals. In recent decades, how we learn to read and understand printed text has been studied intensely in genetics, education, psychology, and cognitive science, and both the volume of research papers and breadth of the topics they examine have increased exponentially. Theories of Reading Development collects within a single volume state-of-the-art descriptions of important theories of reading development and disabilities. The included chapters focus on multiple aspects of reading development and are written by leading experts in the field. Each chapter is an independent theoretical review of the topic to which the authors have made a significant contribution and can be enjoyed on its own, or in relation to others in the book. The volume is written for professionals, graduate students, and researchers in education, psychology, and cognitive neuroscience. It can be used either as a core or as a supplementary text in senior undergraduate and graduate education and psychology courses focusing on reading development. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Sesame Street Treasury Publications International, Ltd, 2009-08 Sesame Street has been helping children laugh and learn since 1969, and Sesame Street Treasury showcases 23 favorite stories, songs, poems, and more from the classic television series. Beloved Sesame Street characters are illustrated on every page, including Elmo, Grover, Bert and Ernie, Zoe, Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, The Count, and more. Preschoolers and their parents will love reading this treasury together. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Language at the Speed of Sight Mark Seidenberg, 2017-01-03 In this important and alarming (New York Times) book, see why so many American students are falling behind in their reading skills while others around the world excel. The way we teach reading is not working, and it cannot continue. We have largely abandoned phones-based reading instruction, despite research that supports its importance for word recognition. Rather than treating Black English as a valid dialect and recognizing that speaking one dialect can impact the ability to learn to read in another, teachers simply dismiss it as incorrect English. And while we press children to develop large vocabularies because we think being a good reader means knowing more words, studies have found that a large vocabulary is only an indication of better pattern recognition. Understanding the science of reading is more important than ever--for us, and for our children. Seidenberg helps us do so by drawing on cutting-edge research in machine learning, linguistics, and early childhood development. Language at the Speed of Sight offers an erudite and scathing examination of this most human of activities, and concrete proposals for how our society can produce better readers. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Enhancing Professional Practice Charlotte Danielson, 2007-02-08 Note: A newer edition of this title is available. The framework for teaching is a research-based set of components of instruction that are grounded in a constructivist view of learning and teaching. The framework may be used for many purposes, but its full value is realized as the foundation for professional conversations among practitioners as they seek to enhance their skill in the complex task of teaching. The framework may be used as the foundation of a school's or district's recruitment and hiring, mentoring, coaching, professional development, and teacher evaluation processes, thus linking all those activities together and helping teachers become more thoughtful practitioners. The actions teachers can take to improve student learning are clearly identified and fall under four domains of teaching responsibility: Planning and Preparation, the School Environment, Instruction, and Professional Responsibilities. Within the domains are 22 components and 76 descriptive elements that further refine our understanding of what teaching is all about. The framework defines four levels of performance (Unsatisfactory, Basic, Proficient, and Distinguished) for each element, providing a valuable tool that all teachers can use. This second edition has been revised and updated and also includes frameworks for school specialists, such as school nurses, counselors, library and media specialists, and instructional coaches. Comprehensive, clear, and applicable to teaching across the K-12 spectrum, the framework for teaching described in this book is based on the PRAXIS III: Classroom Performance Assessment criteria developed by Educational Testing Service and is compatible with INTASC standards. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Digital Humanities in the Library Arianne Hartsell-Gundy, Laura Braunstein, Liorah Golomb, 2015 In the past decade there has been an intense growth in the number of library publishing services supporting faculty and students. Unified by a commitment to both access and service, library publishing programs have grown from an early focus on backlist digitization to encompass publication of student works, textbooks, research data, as well as books and journals. This growing engagement with publishing is a natural extensions of the academic library's commitment to support the creation of and access to scholarship.--Back cover. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Put Reading First Bennie Armbruster, 2003-06-01 This guide was designed by teachers for teachers, & summarizes what researchers have discovered about how to successfully teach children to read. It describes the findings of the 2000 National Reading Panel Report & provides analysis & discussion in five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, & text comprehension. Each section defines the skill, reviews the evidence from research, suggests implications for classroom instruction, describes proven strategies for teaching reading skills, & addresses frequently raised questions. Illustrations. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Parenting a Struggling Reader Susan Hall, Louisa Moats, 2002-04-16 The first completely comprehensive, practical guide for recognizing, diagnosing, and overcoming any childhood reading difficulty. According to the National Institute of Health, ten million of our nation’s children (approximately 17 percent) have trouble learning to read. While headlines warn about the nation’s reading crisis, Susan Hall (whose son was diagnosed with dyslexia) and Louisa Moats have become crusaders for action. The result of their years of research and personal experience, Parenting a Struggling Reader provides a revolutionary road map for any parent facing this challenging problem. Acknowledging that parents often lose valuable years by waiting for their school systems to test for a child’s reading disability, Hall and Moats offer a detailed, realistic program for getting parents actively involved in their children’s reading lives. With a four-step plan for identifying and resolving deficiencies, as well as advice for those whose kids received weak instruction during the crucial early years, this is a landmark publication that promises unprecedented hope for the next generation of Information Age citizens. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Know Better, Do Better Meredith Liben, David Liben, 2019-05-28 Meredith and David Liben have spent decades transforming education, working as teachers, researchers, leaders, and founders of an alternative public elementary school in Harlem€the Family Academy. The Libens have been on the front lines of the reading wars since 1994, when the Family Academy's first cohort of students failed the NYC end of year reading exam and they were confronted with the question: How can a school with plenty of resources, dedication to outstanding instruction, and support for social and emotional learning fail so spectacularly at teaching children how to read? The answers are collected here in Know Better, Do Better: Teaching the Foundations So Every Child Can Read. The Libens have poured through the research, pedagogical movements, and deeply entrenched classroom myths to find the literacy practices and instructional materials that actually improve student learning outcomes. Through their work, the Family Academy reading scores rose to the highest of any non€gifted school in Harlem. The best of intentions aren't enough to make children literate; educators have to know better so they can do better. |
| bridge to practice letrs: Structured Literacy Interventions Louise Spear-Swerling, 2022-02-22 In this book, structured literacy is conceptualized as an umbrella term encompassing a variety of intervention methods, instructional approaches, and commercial programs. In addition to focusing on SL approaches to intervention, this book is organized around common poor reader profiles that have been identified in research. The chapters in this volume are written by experts who are well known as researchers but who are also highly skilled at writing for practitioners. Chapters were written with a strong foundation of research that is summarized, but with a concentration on translating research into practice, including case studies, sample intervention activities, and lesson plans. Each chapter includes application activities at the end to check for and extend readers' understanding-- |
| bridge to practice letrs: Beginning to Read Marilyn Jager Adams, 1994-02-03 Beginning to Read reconciles the debate that has divided theorists for decades over what is the right way to help children learn to read. Beginning to Read reconciles the debate that has divided theorists for decades over the right way to help children learn to read. Drawing on a rich array of research on the nature and development of reading proficiency, Adams shows educators that they need not remain trapped in the phonics versus teaching-for-meaning dilemma. She proposes that phonics can work together with the whole language approach to teaching reading and provides an integrated treatment of the knowledge and process involved in skillful reading, the issues surrounding their acquisition, and the implications for reading instruction. A Bradford Book |
| bridge to practice letrs: 24 Nonfiction Passages for Test Practice Michael Priestley, 2001-12 Boost your students' reading comprehension and critical-thinking skills using all kinds of high-interest nonfiction sources. From how-to guides and letters to news stories and advertisements, these ready-to-reproduce passages and companion questions will give your students the practice they need to understand the information they see and read every day -- and succeed on standardized tests! Book jacket. |
| bridge to practice letrs: The Principal's Role in Shaping School Culture Terrence E. Deal, Kent D. Peterson, 1990 |
| bridge to practice letrs: Letter Lessons and First Words Heidi Anne Mesmer, 2019 This is part of the Research-Informed Classroom series and is about the importance of teaching phonics and language development in young children-- |
| bridge to practice letrs: Report of the National Reading Panel United States Congress, United States Senate, Committee on Appropriations, 2018-01-05 Report of the National Reading Panel : hearing before a subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, United States Senate; One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session; special heÅ April 13, 2000; Washington, DC. |
