Full Description
Your all-in-one guide to selecting the very best early literacy materials!
Learning to read and write is too important to be left to chance, so it's absolutely critical that the early literacy curriculum and literature you use in PreK and kindergarten environments reflect the very best research and instructional practices. But, with the proliferation of new products, what's the best way to start? What criteria should the curriculum meet? Which research-based best practices should be represented? Early Literacy Materials Selector (ELMS)—the first dedicated evaluation tool for early childhood literacy materials—provides all the answers.
Step by step, this one-of-a-kind toolkit will help you:
Recognize the characteristics of high-quality literacy materials
Work in teams or individually to evaluate your resources
Understand the importance of the research base
Establish a baseline against which new literacy materials can be compared
All in all, there's no better resource to ensure we put our youngest students on the right path to school readiness and success.
"Teachers, administrators, and curriculum directors will appreciate the clear guidance for conducting a systematic review of core program materials. A highly effective tool for examining the quality of early literacy materials, ELMS is the first of its kind, and will be a welcome resource."
—Susan B. Neuman, Professor
University of Michigan
"A much needed resource for considering features of curriculum materials in a systematic way. I know of no other tool like it for early childhood materials."
—Judith A. Schickedanz
Boston University
Contents
Foreword by Carol Vukelich
Preface
Acknowledgments
About the Authors
1. An Introduction to ELMS
2. Planning a Review
3. More Than a Simple Review of Materials
4. Taking Inventory of Teaching Materials
5. Examining the Quality of Curriculum Material
6. Analyzing the Guidance Provided in Curriculum Materials
7. Arriving at the Final Rating
8. Technical Information
Resource A. ELMS Tool: A Tool for Early Literacy Program Materials Review
Resource B. Glossary of Terms
Resource C. Example of Completed Part II: Quality of Curriculum Materials
Resource D. Example of Completed Part III: Analysis of Guidance
Resource E. Organizers for Planning and Facilitating Reviews
Resource F. Case Study Example of a Team Review
References
Index
