“This book presents practical ideas for teaching the essential components of a high-quality early childhood program: oral language and vocabulary, phonological awareness, emergent writing, and print and alphabet awareness. It also addresses assessment and the challenges of meeting individual needs. The vignettes from authentic classrooms are especially useful and engaging. The beauty of the book is that the content is relevant across different early childhood contexts; preschool teachers in either public or private settings will find it of great value. It would be an excellent choice for professional development study groups.”

—Michelle Picard, EdD, early childhood supervisor, Arlington Public Schools, Virginia


“Readers will find a blueprint for infusing preschool classrooms with literacy awareness, intentional instruction, and language play. The book systematically describes the building blocks of preschool literacy and provides valuable, classroom-based examples of what each component looks like. The writing style is extremely teacher friendly, making this the perfect text for preservice teachers as well as those already working in a variety of early childhood contexts. A 'must have' for preschool educators.”

—April Whatley Bedford, PhD, Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of New Orleans


“The authors do an excellent job of integrating literacy throughout the preschool curriculum. They invite teachers to peer into the windows of diverse classrooms to view the way the techniques and strategies are implemented. I am a seasoned mentor teacher who has been in the field of child development for more than 20 years, and this book will become part of my personal resource library. I also recommend it for new preschool teachers who are setting up and planning their first classrooms.”

—Darla L. Pulliam, early childhood teacher, Culver City Unified School District, California