Textbook
Literate Lives: Teaching Reading and Writing in Elementary ClassroomsISBN: 978-0-471-65298-4
Paperback
464 pages
November 2007, ©2008
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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 contexts
- assuming an inquiry stance - being ‘problem posers’ and wondering ‘why’
- using “kidwatching” (Goodman, 1985) as an assessment tool to make informed instructional decisions
- recognizing and using the multiple literacies that children bring to the classroom
- lingering and reflecting on one’s decisions in light of what one knows and believes.