Seth A. Parsons, PhD, is Professor in the School of Education and the Sturtevant Center for Literacy at George Mason University. He teaches in the elementary education, literacy, and research methods program areas. Dr. Parsons's award-winning research focuses on teacher education and development, teacher instructional adaptations, and student motivation and engagement. His work has appeared in many journals of educational research and practice. Margaret Vaughn, PhD, is Associate Professor in the College of Education at the University of Idaho, where she teaches in the elementary education and graduate programs. Dr. Vaughn's research explores adaptive and equitable practices to support student agency and literacy learning, including ways literacy instruction can honor and support students' cultural backgrounds and linguistic strengths. Her work has appeared in many journals of educational research and practice.
What are the principles that every elementary teacher must learn in order to plan and adapt successful literacy instruction? This concise course text and practitioner resource brings together leading experts to explain the guiding ideas that underlie effective instructional practice. Each chapter reviews one or more key principles and highlights ways to apply them flexibly in diverse classrooms and across grade levels and content areas. Chapters cover core instructional topics (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension); high-quality learning environments; major issues such as assessment, differentiation, explicit instruction, equity, and culturally relevant pedagogy; and the importance of teachers' reflective practice and lifelong learning.