Synopses & Reviews
The new edition of 50 Literacy Strategies: Step by Step by Gail E. Tompkins is a conveniently organized resource for teachers, providing research-based and classroom-tested strategies to develop literacy skills. Everything you need to know to implement, adapt, and enrich each strategy is included in a consistent, easy-to-understand format. It’s a wonderful resource for elementary and middle school teachers in literacy and language arts!
New to this edition
· New strategies, including Possible Sentences, Process Drama, and RAFT.
· Differentiating Instruction feature in certain chapters describes ways to adapt the instructional strategy to meet the needs of all students.
· Go digital! feature in certain chapters suggest ways to integrate digital technology resources such as podcasts and Inspiration software into the instructional strategy.
· Common Core State Standards for the English Language Arts feature pinpoints the ways individual strategies connect to this important set of standards.
· Booklists are features that identify mentor texts teachers can use when teaching a particular instructional strategy.
What readers have to say
My students keep this text. This book is captivating to students, and they report that it encourages them to think from various perspectives. It contains helpful text lists, assessments and reproducible materials.
Angela J. Cox, Georgetown College
There are so many strategies available, the ones listed in the book are some of the major and successful strategies. The Instructional Focus helps to narrow down strategies to what the students want to build their lessons about. Grade Level Designation is very useful, allowing students to make sure they are using appropriate grade-level strategies.
Deborah A. H. Williams, Wayne State University
The strategies are the essential ones I use in my course. English Language Learner features are a critical component because few of my students have had any interaction with English learners and need significant help understanding second language literacy.
Charlotte L. Pass, SUNY Cortland
Review
It offers a comprehensive set of instructional strategies and also offers very solid explanations and examples of how to plan and implement instruction. The text also offers practical best practices for differentiating instruction. My students are unanimously positive semester after semester.
Eileen Kaiser, Northerstern Illinois University
This textbook has it all! I have found this book to include all the topics, tools, and resources needed for preservice language arts teachers.
Vernelle Tyler, Webster University
Tompkins's text is widely recognized as the industry standard for this methods course.
Elaine Pierce Chakonas, Northeastern Illinois University
The activities Tompkins suggests are sound in the pedagogy employed. She offers methods that are not only rooted in sound research, but have been proven to be effective classroom practices.
Kenneth Homes, Webster University
Synopsis
The best selling language arts text in the market, Language Arts: Patterns of Practice continues to ground language arts instruction in the contemporary classroom. Its strengthened focus on the needs of English learners, as well as its new coverage of Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and its integrated treatment of technology as a teaching tool combine to make this new edition an invaluable tool for pre-service and elementary language arts teachers.
Synopsis
ALERT: Before you purchase, check with your instructor or review your course syllabus to ensure that you select the correct ISBN. Several versions of Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products exist for each title, including customized versions for individual schools, and registrations are not transferable. In addition, you may need a CourseID, provided by your instructor, to register for and use Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products.
Packages
Access codes for Pearson's MyLab & Mastering products may not be included when purchasing or renting from companies other than Pearson; check with the seller before completing your purchase.
Used or rental books
If you rent or purchase a used book with an access code, the access code may have been redeemed previously and you may have to purchase a new access code.
Access codes
Access codes that are purchased from sellers other than Pearson carry a higher risk of being either the wrong ISBN or a previously redeemed code. Check with the seller prior to purchase.
--
The best selling language arts text in the market, Language Arts: Patterns of Practice continues to ground language arts instruction in the contemporary classroom. Its strengthened focus on the needs of English learners, as well as its new coverage of Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and its integrated treatment of technology as a teaching tool combine to make this new edition an invaluable tool for pre-service and elementary language arts teachers.
About the Author
Gail Tompkins I’m a teacher, first and foremost. I began my career as a first-grade teacher in Virginia in the 1970s. I remember one first grader who cried as the first day of school was ending. When I tried to comfort him, he sobbed accusingly, “I came to first grade to learn to read and write and you forgot to teach me.” The next day, I taught that child and his classmates to read and write! We made a small patterned book about one of the stuffed animals in the classroom. I wrote some of the words and the students supplied the others, and I duplicated copies of the book for each child. We practiced reading it until everyone memorized our little book. The children proudly took their books home to read to their parents. I’ve never forgotten that child’s comment and what it taught me: Teachers must understand their students and meet their expectations.
My first few years of teaching left me with more questions than answers, and I wanted to become a more effective teacher so I started taking graduate courses. In time I earned a master’s degree and then a doctorate in Reading/Language Arts, both from Virginia Tech. Through my graduate studies, I learned a lot of answers, but more importantly, I learned to keep on asking questions.
Then I began teaching at the university level. First I taught at Miami University in Ohio, then at the University of Oklahoma, and finally at California State University, Fresno. I’ve taught preservice teachers and practicing teachers working on master’s degrees, and I’ve directed doctoral dissertations. I’ve received awards for my teaching, including the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at California State University, Fresno, and I was inducted into the California Reading Association’s Reading Hall of Fame. Throughout the years, my students have taught me as much as I taught them. I’m grateful to all of them for what I’ve learned.
I’ve been writing college textbooks for more than 20 years, and I think of the books I write as teaching, too. I’ll be teaching you as you read this text. As I write a book, I try to anticipate the questions you might ask and provide that information. I also include students’ samples so you can see concepts that I’m explaining, and I include lists of trade books that you can refer to as you work with students.
Table of Contents
Language Arts: Patterns of Practice 8e Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Learning and the Language Arts 2
Vignette First Graders Apply the Six Language Arts 2
HOW CHILDREN LEARN 5
The Process of Learning 5
Learning Strategies 6
Social Contexts of Learning 7
Implications for Learning Language Arts 7
LANGUAGE LEARNING AND CULTURE 8
The Four Language Systems 8
Academic Language 11
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students 11
Critical Literacy 13
Implications for Learning Language Arts 14
HOW STUDENTS LEARN LANGUAGE ARTS 14
A Community of Learners 14
Self-Efficacy 17
The Six Language Arts 18
Language Arts Strategies 20
Communicative Competence 24
Engaging English Learners 24
Summing Up 25
Chapter 2 Teaching and Assessing Language Arts 26
Vignette A Sixth Grade Language Arts Class 26
PATTERNS OF PRACTICE 30
Literature Focus Units 31
Literature Circles 31
Reading and Writing Workshop 33
Thematic Units 37
THE TEACHER’S ROLE 38
Scaffolding Learners 38
Differentiating Instruction 41
Engaging English Learners 42
Teaching Struggling Students 42
Language Arts Standards 44
ASSESSING LEARNING 45
Monitoring Progress 46
Evaluating Learning 48
Implementing Portfolios 49
High-Stakes Assessments 56
Summing Up 57
Chapter 3 Emergent Literacy 58
Vignette K–1 Students Read and Write 58
FOSTERING CHILDREN’S INTEREST IN WRITTEN LANGUAGE 62
Written Language Concepts 62
Alphabet Concepts 64
YOUNG CHILDREN BECOME READERS 74
Shared Reading 74
Language Experience Approach 78
YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN TO WRITE 78
Introducing Young Children to Writing 81
Interactive Writing 81
Minilessons 84
Summing Up 85
Chapter 4 Personal Writing 86
Vignette Seventh Graders Respond to Literature 86
WRITING IN JOURNALS 90
Personal Journals 90
Dialogue Journals 92
Reading Logs 93
Double-Entry Journals 95
Learning Logs 96
Simulated Journals 98
SOCIAL NETWORKING 101
Classroom Blogs 101
Safety Concerns 103
LETTER WRITING 104
Friendly Letters 104
Email Messages 106
Business Letters 107
Simulated Letters 107
TEACHING PERSONAL WRITING 107
Minilessons 108
Mentor Texts 108
Engaging English Learners 110
Assessing Students’ Personal Writing 112
Summing Up 113
Chapter 5 Oral