Gardens are lovely places of growth and vitality. When we nurture plants in a garden, positive results spring forth.  As we see plants grow, we grasp the importance of nurturing them carefully during each stage of the growth process.  Keys for Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades is filled with garden scenes that align with the text to provide a vivid portrayal of the impact of careful nurturing that helps young readers flourish in school.  The chapters of this book draw teachers into the garden to discover research-based strategies, focusing on the five major components of reading.  These chapters provide opportunities to discover each child's potential through realistic application of literacy theory, best practices for assessment, and innovative literacy instruction across the content areas.  While exploring gardens throughout this text, teachers discover keys to unlock secrets that inspire students with diverse needs to become lifelong readers who write for enjoyment and communicate effectively. 

 Keys for Literacy Instruction in the Elementary Grades features:



An innovative, time-saving comprehensive Literacy ROOTS Thinking Map for individual case study assessment reports and Response to Intervention that is realistic for monitoring students' needs and strategic learning across the content areas
Lesson plan formats and examples to meet diverse student needs and nurture academic growth
Instructional strategies to nurture literacy development in phonemic awareness, phonics and spelling, vocabulary, and fluency with comprehension as the main focus of literacy learning

 Authentic, culturally responsive reading, writing, and technology suggestions to motivate literacy learning