ABSTRACT
The opening chapter serves several purposes in introducing the book and its connection to preschool classrooms. This chapter addresses the goals of the book, to have the reader gain an understanding how the English alphabet works, ways to teach and assess what preschoolers need to know in regard to literacy (print concepts, phonological awareness, and letters). The initial section describes the focus of the book, teaching alphabetics, and defines the terms alphabetics and emergent for the teacher reader. The Head Start Early Learning Outcomes domains that are directly addressed in the book are outlined in this chapter. This chapter addressed some controversies in the early childhood and preschool community, stating that there is no need to choose between play and academics or between social-emotional learning and literacy. Finally, the chapter closes with an overview of typical literacy development, which is crucial for teachers of preschoolers to understand.
