What makes Literacy for the 21^st Century the most valuable and relevant literacy text on the market?

Authenticity

Bringing in the voices of K-8 teachers and students, Literacy for the 21^st Century will help you envision the opportunities and challenges that await you when teaching reading and writing.  You will:

• View teachers in action through the thrilling new DVD created to help you see literacy strategies in the context of classroom teaching.
• Envision today’s classrooms through chapter opening vignettes that share stories from successful literacy classrooms.
• Observe literacy learning and assessment in the student work samples that appear throughout chapters, helping you recognize the ways students develop as readers and writers. 

Balance

Literacy for the 21^st Century strengthens and clarifies the ways to balance skills and strategies instruction with authentic reading and writing experiences. Careful study of this text will allow you to: 

• Understand literacy instruction in terms of four foundational instructional approaches: basal reading programs, literature focus units, literature circles, and reading and writing workshop.
• Recognize the ten Components of a Balanced Literacy Program through new chapter features, clarifying the elements to balance and the ways to do it successfully.

Classroom Practice

Loaded with ideas to take right into the classroom, Literacy for the 21^st Century truly prepares you to differentiate your teaching and meet the needs of all students.  Special features include:

• Nurturing English Learners features thatdemonstrate how chapter content must be reconsidered in terms of the English learner. 
• Scaffolding Struggling Readers features, providing pivotal information to help students who struggle make real progress in developing literacy competency.
• Minilessons that offerclear, concise skill and strategy instruction, ready for you to take right into your classrooms!
• A Compendium of Instructional Procedures composed of dozens of step-by-step instructional methods designed to get you up and running quickly in your own literacy classroom.

Part 1:  What Is a Balanced and Comprehensive Approach to Literacy Instruction?

Chapter 1 Becoming an Effective Teacher of Reading

Chapter 2 Teaching the Reading and Writing Processes

Part 2:  How Do Children Learn to Read and Write?

Chapter 3 Working with Young Readers and Writers

Chapter 4 Breaking the Alphabetic Code

Chapter 5 Developing Fluent Readers and Writers

Chapter 6 Expanding Students’ Knowledge of Words

Chapter 7 Facilitating Students’ Comprehension: Reader Factors

Chapter 8 Facilitating Students’ Comprehension: Text Factors

Chapter 9 Assessing Students’ Literacy Development

Part 3:  How Do Teachers Organize Literacy Instruction?

Chapter 10 Teaching with Basal Reading Textbooks

Chapter 11 Teaching Literature Focus Units

Chapter 12 Orchestrating Literature Circles

Chapter 13 Implementing Reading and Writing Workshop

Chapter 14 Reading and Writing in the Content Areas

 Part 4:  Compendium of Instructional Procedures