Strategies and Lessons for Improving Basic Early Literacy Skills

Bob Algozzine is a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of North Carolina and project codirector of the U.S. Department of Education-supported Behavior and Reading Improvement Center. With 25 years of research experience and extensive firsthand knowledge of teaching students classified as seriously emotionally disturbed, Algozzine is a uniquely qualified staff developer, conference speaker, and teacher of behavior management and effective teaching courses. He is active in special education practice as a partner and collaborator with professionals in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools in North Carolina and as an editor of several journals focused on special education. Algozzine has written more than 250 manuscripts on special education topics, including many books and textbooks on how to manage emotional and social behavior problems. Mary Beth Marr is an associate professor in education at Meredith College, where she teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in literacy education. She previously served as a research associate with the Behavior and Reading Improvement Center at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Marr, whose research interests focus on early literacy and struggling readers, received her doctorate in reading education from the University of Minnesota. Tina McClanahan has worked for the Charlotte Mecklenburg School (CMS) system since her graduation from West Virginia State College. During her time with CMS she has held the positions of classroom teacher, literacy teacher, Reading Recovery teacher, K-2 literacy facilitator, and is currently a Pre-K literacy facilitator. McClanahan has also worked for the Behavior and Reading Improvement Center at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte as a Center Support Coordinating teacher and received national board status as an Early Childhood Generalist (ECGEN) in 2001. Emme Barnes is a literacy facilitator in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System working with teachers, students, and parents to develop literacy skills in elementary students. She has taught first and second grade classes in Title One, large suburban schools, and at The American School of Madrid. Barnes is on the advisory board for Reach Out and Read Charlotte and is a past recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Charlotteans Award given by the Charlotte Jaycees for her work with literacy in the community. She earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master of education degree in reading, language, and literacy from The University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Introduction Organizational Framework Using Assessment to Inform Instruction Incorporating Basic Early Literacy Skills (BELS) Into the Literacy Block Teaching Effectively Early Literacy Instruction in Perspective Building Early Literacy Skills 2. Letter Naming Fluency Activity 1: Distinguishing Between Letters and Non-Letters Activity 2a: Distinguishing Letter Forms (Tall Letters) Activity 2b: Distinguishing Letter Forms (Short Circular Letters) Activity 2c: Distinguishing Letter Forms (Short Stick Letters) Activity 2d: Distinguishing Letter Forms (Short Hump Letters) Activity 2e: Distinguishing Letter Forms (Hanging Letters) Activity 3: Distinguishing Same and Different Letters Activity 4a: Distinguishing Uppercase and Lowercase Letters Activity 4b: Distinguishing Uppercase and Lowercase Letters (Using American Sign Language) Activity 4c: Distinguishing Uppercase and Lowercase Letters (Using Sense of Touch) Activity 5: Distinguishing Letters/Sounds (Using Sense of Touch) 3. Initial Sound Fluency Activity 6a: Silly Sentence s-Part 1 Activity 6b: Silly Sentences-Part 2 Activity 7: Picture/Sound Charts Activity 8a: Letter/Sound Books-Part 1 Activity 8b: Letter/Sound Books-Part 2 Activity 9: Sound Collages Activity 10: Sound Identification Game Activity 11: Picture/Sound Identification Game 4. Phoneme Segmentation Fluency Activity 12: "Stretching" Sounds in Words Activity 13a: Elkonin Boxes-Identifying Sounds with Fingers Activity 13b: Elkonin Boxes-Pushing Sounds Activity 13c: Elkonin Boxes-Sound Boxes Activity 13d: Elkonin Boxes-Transition Boxes Activity 13e: Elkonin Boxes-Letter Boxes 5. Nonsense Word Fluency Activity 14: Distinguishing Letters/Sounds (Using Sense of Touch) Activity 15a: Sound/Letter BINGO Activity 15b: Letter/Sound BINGO Activity 16: Sound Identification Game Activity 17: Making and Breaking using Magnetic Letters Activity 18a: Blending (VC) Activity 18b: Blending (CVC) Activity 19: Sorting Beginning Consonant Sounds Activity 20: Sound Line Activity 21: Word Wheels Activity 22: Flip Books Activity 23: Slide-a-Word Activity 24: Word Scramble Activity 25: Word Maker Activity 26: Roll The Dice Activity 27: Match! Activity 28: Ringo! Activity 29: Go Fish 6. Oral Reading Fluency Activity 30a: Reading Punctuation Activity 30b: Reading Punctuation: Period, Exclamation Point, Question Mark Activity 31: Reading Text in Phrases to Promote Fluency Activity 32: Reading Fine and Bold Printed Text as Author Intended Activity 3: Reading fine and bold printed text as author intended Activity 33: Reading Dialogue References and Resources Index

"The lessons build on one another and are clearly sequenced from teacher-led instruction to group instruction to independent practice. This is a great resource for schools that use DIBELS as their assessment, because it is so closely aligned with the same targeted skills. Readers will find suggested accountability and differentiated instruction ideas right at their fingertips. It is hard to find books targeted to the early grades, and this one covers many areas important to the K-3 educator." -- Tanya Phaturos, Reading Specialist "Emphasizes practical activities presented in a consistent format that can be used with students to enhance their literacy development." -- Wanda Mangum, Language Arts Instructional Coach "A teacher could pick up this book and immediately use the activities to help children improve. There is differentiation for each activity, ensuring that this book can be used successfully in the classroom." -- Jessie Fries-Kraemer, Literacy Teacher