Finding the Magic: Emergent Readers and Writers
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2022
Pages: 182
Edition: 2
Copyright: 2022
Pages: 182
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This book came about as a result of my many conversations with teachers of young children. Through our discussions, I began to reflect on the joy my students and I felt in our classroom, as students learned to read, write, sing, create, compose poetry, perform drama, and think critically. I began to reminisce about everything that made our language arts classroom a magical place, and I decided that a book containing everything that happened to make our classroom a warm, inviting, language rich, multicultural, inclusive community of learners, would be a helpful tool for pre-service teachers and practicing teachers alike.
Finding the Magic: Emergent Readers and Writers begins by presenting literacy learning theories and stages in Chapter 1, then discusses how students learn to read and write in Chapters 2 and 3. Chapter 4 is about reading and writing in the classroom and highlights the use of phonics, word work, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Chapters 5 and 6 feature Reading and Writing Workshops, respectively. Chapter 7 focuses on literature for young readers, and Chapter 8 emphasizes the importance of a multicultural classroom. Assessment of reading and writing is the topic of Chapter 9, and Chapter 10 concludes the book by providing ideas about loving school, bringing art and music to the classroom, including and celebrating all students, and creating a community of learners.
My hope is that pre-service teachers and teachers in the field will find many methods and strategies in the book that will help them create a classroom that brings joy to their students and themselves. I wish for them to find the magic my students and I found in our classroom, as my students became young readers, writers, thinkers, actors, singers, poets, and life-long learners.
Chapter 1 Literacy Learning Theories and Stages
Constructivism
Piaget
Vygotsky
Transactional Theory
Bandura
Literacy Stages
Spelling Stages
Balanced Literacy Approach
Chapter 2 Learning to Read
The Beginnings
Cueing Systems
Scaffolding
Read-Aloud
Shared Reading
Guided Reading
Reading Strategies
Independent Reading
Chapter 3 Learning to Write
The Beginnings
Write-Aloud
Shared Writing
Independent Writing
Chapter 4 Reading and Writing in the Classroom
Phonics
Word Work
Hearing and Recording Sounds in Words
Making and Breaking Words
Analogies
Chunks
My Pile/Your Pile
Vocabulary
Fluency
Comprehension
Literacy Centers
Chapter 5 Reading Workshop
Reading Mini-Lessons
Independent Reading Time
Responding to Text
Conferences
Sharing Time
Finding the Right Book
Chapter 6 Writing Workshop
Writing Mini-Lessons
Status of the Class
Independent Writing Time
Writer’s Craft
Writing Conferences
Sharing Writing
Chapter 7 Literature for Young Readers
The Importance of Choice
Predictable Books
Big Books
Alphabet Books
Word Play Books
Concept Books
Wordless Picture Books
Multicultural Books
Critical Literacy
Acquiring Books
Motivating Readers
Chapter 8 The Multicultural Classroom
Including all Cultures
English Learners
Accepting Home Languages
Including Families
Chapter 9 Assessing Reading and Writing
Ongoing Informal Assessment
Informal Reading Inventory
Running Records
Spelling Inventories
Observations and Anecdotal Records
Rubrics
Reading and Writing Conferences
Work Samples
Portfolios
Self-Assessment
Parent Conferences
High-Stakes Tests
Chapter 10 Loving School
Creating a Community
Focusing on the Positive
Using Music in the Classroom
Combining Art and Literature
Slowing Down
Finding Magic in the Classroom
My Pile/Your Pile
Elkonin Boxes
Practice Phonics Test
Practice Phonics Test Answer Key
About the Author
Dr. Melinda Miller is a Professor at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas in the School of Teaching and Learning, where she has been on the faculty since 2001. She teaches literacy at the undergraduate, masters, and doctoral levels.
Melinda’s public school teaching experience includes 7 years of teaching as a Kindergarten, first, and second grade teacher, and 4 years of teaching as a Reading Recovery teacher and Reading Specialist. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin in Elementary Education with a Kindergarten Endorsement. She graduated from Sam Houston State University with her master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading, and she received her PhD from Texas A&M University in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Reading.
In addition to Finding the Magic, Melinda co-authored Reading and Writing with English Learners: A Framework for K-5 with Valentia Gonzalez. She has been an educational consultant with Seidlitz Education since 2015, and she has published over 50 articles about literacy education and has presented world-wide. Melinda lives in Huntsville with her husband, Marsh, and 3 dogs and 2 cats.