The third-grade classroom is a beehive of activity, in which young readers transition between emergent and more advanced levels of literacy. This expertly written guide brings to life the rewards and challenges of teaching third graders and helps teachers differentiate instruction for diverse learners. Vividly portraying a week in a highly motivating classroom, the authors present easy-to-use ideas and activities for building fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and more. Illustrations, reproducibles, grade-specific resources, and planning tips will make this handy book a boon to third-grade teachers every day of the year.
Table of Contents:
1. What Is the Third-Grade Learner Like?
2. What Are Appropriate Goals for Literacy Learners in Third Grade?
3. Setting Up the Environment for Literacy
4. Getting to Know Your Students via Classroom Assessment
5. A Week in Mrs. Hildreth's Third-Grade Classroom
6. Meeting the Needs of Individual Literacy Learners in Third Grade
7. Resources
About the Author :
Janice F. Almasi, PhD, is the Carol Lee Robertson Endowed Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Kentucky, where she teaches courses in research and theory in literacy. She earned her PhD and MEd in reading education from the University of Maryland and her BS in elementary education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Before becoming a university educator, Dr. Almasi was an elementary classroom teacher and a reading specialist in Maryland.
Keli Garas-York, PhD, is currently an assistant professor at Buffalo State College, Buffalo, New York, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate literacy courses. She was a reading specialist in the West Seneca Central School District, where she worked with students in kindergarten through grade 6 for 2 years. She also taught third graders in the Buffalo Public School System for 7 years. Dr. Garas-York earned her BS in elementary education from the State University of New York College at Oswego, her master’s degree in special education from St. Bonaventure University, and her PhD in reading education from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Leigh-Ann Hildreth, MEd, is a third-grade teacher in the Sweet Home Central School District, Amherst, New York. She earned her BS in elementary education from the State University of New York at Geneseo and her master’s degree in elementary education from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She is a trained Reading Recovery teacher. Mrs. Hildreth successfully taught first graders for 8 years in the Sweet Home Central School District before changing grade levels 2 years ago, when she found herself teaching third graders for the first time in her career.
Review :
This is the most comprehensive look at third-grade literacy instruction I have seen. It is engaging reading, offering captivating glimpses into the minds and classrooms of teachers and their students. The authors bring together theory, research-based practices, and useful tools. Teachers will find this book accessible and practical, and it is perfect for courses in elementary education, reading, and language arts at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. It is especially appropriate for those professors and programs seeking to embed standards and competencies throughout the curriculum.--Alysia D. Roehrig, PhD, Florida State University
I wish this book had been published before I started my third-grade teaching career! I found myself nodding my head in agreement with the information and advice these authors offer to novice third-grade teachers.--Jo Anne Deshon, EdD, third-grade teacher, John R. Downes Elementary School, Newark, Delaware
The picture of third grade painted in this text gives the third-grade teacher a model for solid literacy instruction. The authors do an excellent job of weaving in the latest research on practices that most effectively teach literacy skills. This provides the reader not only with great ideas for classroom instruction, but also with the basis for any choices made. I would recommend this book to any new third-grade teacher who wishes to implement a strong and research-based literacy program in the classroom. Teacher educators, principals, and literacy coaches also will find it a useful reference.--Lisa Bernstein, MEd, third-grade teacher, Dr. Bessie Rhodes Magnet School, Skokie, Illinois
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