A practical guide to establish an early writing program begins in kindergarten with children dictating a story that a teacher or parent volunteer records on paper. In first grade, 30 minutes are set aside for writing. Additional ways are suggested to infuse writing activities into every subject in a child's schooling. (MLF)

Discusses children's interest in names, and the importance of this interest for their developing literacy. (MM)

Stresses the importance of using imagery when having beginning writers write poetry. Discusses additional techniques of stressing the unusual, continuation words, the five senses, and repetition of a word or phrase. (MG)

Describes and evaluates the Test of Early Written Language (TEWL), an instrument resulting in percentile or standard scores that reflect children's writing development at ages three to seven. Warns that it fails to tap important concepts at the lower age ranges, and violates several principles of children's authentic writing experiences. (MM)

Emphasizing the constructive role teachers pay in children's literacy development, this book provides a clear and richly illustrated description of children's writing development from preschool through approximately fourth grade. The book, divided into the three sections covering beginning writing, spelling, and composition, consists of the…

Part of a series designed to provide practical ideas parents can use to help children become readers, this booklet focuses on how to encourage young children to write. The booklet describes the kinds of writing that children do, offers suggestions on how to encourage children to experiment with spelling, and urges parents not to be overly…

Children's capacity for learning to read and write at school is directly linked to the experiences children have at home with language, books, and writing. This videotape shows how parents can provide a home environment that promotes literacy growth for their children. The 25-minute video first highlights the elements of a literacy-rich…

Asserting that early reading success is a strong predictor of academic success in later grades and that the early childhood years (birth through age 8) are critical for literacy development, this issue brief explores actions states can take to develop and support literacy-rich environments for children. Following an introductory summary, the brief…

Presents six brief (about one page) narratives by primary and secondary teachers arising from STELLA (Standards for Teachers of English Language and Literacy in Australia) workshops and interpretive discussions. Notes that each narrative describes a moment of "good" English/literacy teaching. (SG)

In craft training, children are taught preschool skills as they create art projects with an adult. By creating toys, pictures, and other projects from readily available materials, children become involved in cooking, coloring, cutting, drawing, gluing, and beginning writing. The first rule of craft training is to let the child do the work of…

Discusses the concept of emergent literacy, summarizing several theories and studies on children's early experiences with reading and writing. Examines the implications of this research for beginning reading and writing instruction. (MM)

Describes HyperTales, a computer-based writing application for emergent writers. Discusses principles of developmental literacy approaches which offer guidance for the design of computer-based emergent writing applications. (MM)

Follows the reading and writing development of a young boy from first through third grade. Shares how, through storytelling, he defined a sense of himself that retained a strong connection to his primary-years personality while reaching out confidently toward the world of upper elementary classrooms that he would now be facing. (MG)

Discusses beginning writing activities that teachers can use with young children. Notes that preschoolers use writing systems that include drawings, scribblings, letterlike forms, words, and invented spelling. Suggests that teachers can use functional writing projects, such as greeting cards, lists, journals, address books, and pen pals, to…

This article discusses home/family factors related to the development of emergent literacy skills in preschool-age children and presents the Home Literacy Inventory for assessing children's non-print activities, reading activities, writing activities, and current reading and writing abilities. How the information can be used to develop…