Language and literacy series

"This volume is a thoughtful synthesis of current research conducted at the National Reading Research Center (NRRC). Blending investigations on the motivational, social, and cognitive needs of young learners, Engaged Reading presents a new perspective on reading development. Whether you work with students of mainstream or diverse backgrounds, in inner-city or affluent suburban schools, the concept of engaged reading is crucial to the current debate concerning reading instruction. This authoritative book covers qualities and practices of engaged readers; practices for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms; the influence of family literacy beliefs and interactions; the range of methodologies used by literacy researchers; and policy implications of the engagement perspective."--Jacket.

Synopsis: In their new collaboration, Celia Genishi and Anne Haas Dyson celebrate the genius of young children as they learn language and literacy in the diverse contexts that surround them. Despite burgeoning sociocultural diversity, many early childhood classrooms (pre-K to grade 2) offer a "one-size-fits-all" curriculum, too often assessed by standardized tests. In contrast, the authors propose diversity as the new norm. They feature stories of children whose language learning is impossible to standardize, and they introduce teachers who do not follow scripts but observe, assess informally, respond to, and grow with their children. Among these children are rapid language learners and those who take their time to become speakers, readers, and writers at "child speed." All these learners, regardless of tempo, are often found within the language-rich contexts of play.

"In her new book, Valerie Kinloch investigates how the lives and literacies of youth in New York City's historic Harlem are affected by public attempts to gentrify the community. Kinloch draws connections between race, place, and students' literate identity through collaborative interviews between youth, teachers, longtime black residents, and their new white neighbors. Harlem on Our Minds is a participatory action narrative that makes emerging theories of social ecology real for the high-school English classroom. Vividly drawn lessons show how teachers can engage urban youth in school-based literacy, by linking canonical text, particularly of the Harlem renaissance, to current events."--Jacket.

vii, 56 p. : 23 cm