Book excerpt: "The lessons build on one another and are clearly sequenced from teacher-led instruction to group instruction to independent practice. Readers will find suggested accountability and differentiated instruction ideas right at their fingertips. It is hard to find books targeted to the early grades, and this one covers many areas important to the K–3 educator." —Tanya Phaturos, Reading Specialist Park Elementary School, Holbrook, AZ "Emphasizes practical activities presented in a consistent format that can be used with students to enhance their literacy development." —Wanda Mangum, Language Arts Instructional Coach Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA Research-proven strategies to foster early literacy success! Building strong literacy skills is the basis for helping all children read by the end of third grade. This hands-on guide shows teachers how to use research-based strategies and structured lessons to teach essential skills for literacy success in Grades K–3. The activities are designed by literacy specialists and teachers to build proficiency in four key areas: recognizing and naming letters, hearing and manipulating sounds in words, associating sounds with letters and using them to form words, and reading words in connected text effortlessly. Addressing the needs of a diverse classroom, this book offers: Assessment guidelines and tools that inform instruction and help adjust teaching to support individual learning needs An array of ready-to-use strategies, tips, and reproducibles Research on teaching early literacy skills to all students This book is designed for educators and other professionals who teach children of any proficiency level, but is equally appropriate for teaching students who experience difficulty in learning to read.