• Lemov, D. (2010). Teach like a champion: 49 techniques that put students on the path to college. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  • Chapter 10, “How All Teachers Can (and Must) Be Reading Teachers”
    
    This chapter explains why all teachers in the school, no matter what grade level or subject area, “can and must be reading teachers.” It provides provocative “control the game” techniques for making instruction productive and rigorous and for keeping students accountable.

   

  • Chapter 11, “The Fundamentals: Teaching Decoding, Vocabulary Development, and Fluency”
    
    This chapter presents techniques for developing students’ decoding skills, vocabulary, and fluency with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. As you read, begin thinking about how you will incorporate these strategies into your Weekly Overview and Featured Lessons.

   

  • Chapter 12, “Comprehension: Teaching Students to Understand What They Read”
    
    This chapter introduces pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies for improving comprehension, the ultimate goal of reading. Be sure to include pre-, during-, and post-reading strategies into the Featured Lessons you create for this course.
     
• Teach For America. (2012). Elementary literacy [Electronic version]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
  • Chapter 3, “The Building Blocks of Literacy”
    
    You read this text during a previous literacy course during Institute. It contains a wealth of information on literacy instructional planning that you can go back to time and time again as you continue to develop and refine the effective practices you’ve been learning. Review this valuable resource, noting ideas that you can incorporate into the Assessments for this course.

   

• Allington, R. L., & Gabriel, R. E. (2012). Every child, every day. Educational Leadership, 69(6), 10–15.
  
  This article presents six elements of effective reading instruction that every child should experience every day. The authors emphasize that these elements “don’t require a lot of money—only educators’ decision to put them in place.” Your Weekly Overview and Featured Lessons should reflect your decision to put these key elements in place in your literacy classroom.
   
• Hart, B., & Risley, T. R. (2003). The early catastrophe. Education Review, 17(1), 110–118.
  
  This article presents a landmark study about early literacy that serves as a wake-up call to teachers, parents, and caregivers of young children. As you read, consider implications of the “30 million word gap” for your work as a literacy teacher.
   
• International Reading Association. (2002). Family-School partnerships: Essential elements of literacy instruction in the United States. Retrieved from http://www.reading.org/Libraries/Position_Statements_and_Resolutions/ps1053_family.sflb.ashx
  
  This position statement by the International Reading Association highlights important questions to consider when planning how to involve families in support of students’ literacy development. It also provides recommendations for implementing this essential component of literacy instruction. Consider these questions and recommendations as you create your Literacy Program Presentation.
   
• National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1998, May). Learning to read and write: Developmentally appropriate practices for young children. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/PSREAD98.PDF
  
  The International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) have jointly prepared a position statement to provide guidance for educators, policymakers, and others regarding effective practices in early literacy education. Become familiar with this authoritative document and begin applying these practices in your literacy instructional planning.
   
• National Association for the Education of Young Children & International Reading Association. (2009). Where we stand: On learning to read and write. Retrieved from http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/file/positions/WWSSLearningToReadAndWriteEnglish.pdf
  
  This document is an abbreviated version of the joint position statement listed above. Use it as a quick reference when planning literacy instruction and when communicating with families, support staff, and others regarding effective practices for emergent and beginning readers.

Optional Readings (not required)

• (1951). The reading teacher. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
  
  This professional journal, published by the International Reading Association, is housed in the Johns Hopkins University Library and offers current research and information on reading and literacy education. Use it to find articles on effective practices to apply in your classroom.
   
• Miller, D. (2009). The book whisperer: Awakening the inner reader in every child. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  
  This book, authored by a classroom teacher, is an optional reading intended to inspire you to use strategies that spark students’ motivation to be lifelong, joyful readers.