Wiley Literate Lives: Teaching Reading and Writing in Elementary Classrooms

Literate Lives: Teaching Reading and Writing in Elementary Classrooms invites readers to consider the complexities of the reading process in diverse settings.  The text is designed to meet the challenges and needs of undergraduate and graduate teacher candidates in elementary education programs, helping them to have a better first year (in the classroom) experience. The text introduces teacher candidates to the notion that reading is a complex, multi-layered process that begins early in a child’s life.  Reading by all accounts, is more than decoding symbols on a page. While this is one component of the reading process, it is important for teacher candidates to see a broader more complete picture of reading. Given the role that reading plays in the elementary school curriculum, it is imperative that teachers have a well-developed understanding of the reading process and what it means to be a teacher of readers. Literate Lives: Teaching Reading and Writing in the Elementary Classroom covers the major theories and application strategies of the reading process as well as current debates in the field using a unique framework that builds upon the following themes:believing that literacy is based in social, cultural, and historical contextsassuming an inquiry stance - being ‘problem posers’ and wondering ‘why’using “kidwatching” (Goodman, 1985) as an assessment tool to make informed instructional decisionsrecognizing and using the multiple literacies that children bring to the classroomlingering and reflecting on one’s decisions in light of what one knows and believes. From the Inside Flap Meet the challenges of teaching literacy in today's classroomReading is more than decoding symbols on a page. It is a complex, multi-layered process that begins early in a child's life and encompasses the many social, cultural, and historical contexts that surround the child. Literate Lives: Teaching Reading & Writing in Elementary Classrooms not only gives you the historical and theoretical foundations that you need to be a teacher of reading, writing, and literacy in today's classroom; it helps you understand the broader, more complete picture of the reading process and what it means to be a teacher of readers. In this book, you'll cover the major theories and application strategies of the reading process, and learn how to organize for literary instruction in your classroom. As you learn to recognize and draw upon the multiple literacies that children bring to the classroom, you will: Become a skilled problem-solver as you work through real-world examples and study the classroom experiences of others.Discover how to dig deeper into literacy instruction and decide on what actions to take.Explore ways to drive and teach literacy with such tools as children's toys and familiar characters.At once engaging and challenging, Literate Lives gives you both the tools and the confidence you need to begin your successful career as a teacher of literacy. From the Back Cover Meet the challenges of teaching literacy in today's classroomReading is more than decoding symbols on a page. It is a complex, multi-layered process that begins early in a child's life and encompasses the many social, cultural, and historical contexts that surround the child. Literate Lives: Teaching Reading & Writing in Elementary Classrooms not only gives you the historical and theoretical foundations that you need to be a teacher of reading, writing, and literacy in today's classroom; it helps you understand the broader, more complete picture of the reading process and what it means to be a teacher of readers. In this book, you'll cover the major theories and application strategies of the reading process, and learn how to organize for literary instruction in your classroom. As you learn to recognize and draw upon the multiple literacies that children bring to the classroom, you will: Become a skilled problem-solver as you work through real-wo