ABSTRACT

Now in its sixth edition, Striking a Balance clearly illustrates how to create a comprehensive early literacy program that places direct skills instruction within the context of rich and varied reading and writing experiences.

Text discussions, dynamic activities, and valuable appendices provide a variety of effective instructional resources, selected based on research and teacher testimonials. The sixth edition incorporates recent updates to national and state standards, as well as expanded sections on working with English language learners and students with special needs, while maintaining the book’s essential features: classroom vignettes, discussion questions, field-based activities, a student website, and study guide. 

An essential resource for early literacy instructors, this textbook’s practical approach fundamentally demonstrates how children develop authentic literacy skills through a combination of direct strategy instruction and motivating contexts.

chapter 1|15 pages

A Child Learns to Read

Process and Product

chapter 2|18 pages

A Quest for Balance

Moving Forward

chapter 3|32 pages

Emergent Literacy

From Birth to Conventional Literacy

chapter 4|20 pages

Phonemic Awareness

The Sounds of Our Language

chapter 5|35 pages

Phonics, Sight Vocabulary, and Fluency

Why and How

chapter 6|23 pages

Spelling

A Writer’s Tool

chapter 7|27 pages

Acquiring Word Meanings

The Building Blocks of Literacy

chapter 8|33 pages

Reading Comprehension

Making Sense of Print

chapter 9|32 pages

Writing-Reading Connections

Reciprocal Paths to Literacy

chapter 10|25 pages

Informational Text in the Classroom

Reading and Writing to Learn

chapter 11|29 pages

Large- and Small-Group Reading Strategies

Creating a Literate Community

chapter 12|26 pages

Literacy and Technology in a Balanced Classroom

Exploring Today’s Resources

chapter 13|38 pages

Assessment of Early Literacy Development

Informing Instruction

chapter 14|21 pages

Home as Partner

The Shared Connection

chapter 15|17 pages

The Early Literacy Classroom

Orchestrating a Comprehensive Program