For children from low-resource backgrounds, a literacy-rich preschool experience with a skilled and engaged teacher can make all the difference—it can offset risk factors and lay the groundwork for lifelong academic success. Now schools can ensure effective early literacy instruction with this field-tested, research-based curriculum for children 3 to 5 years of age.

These 41 one-week lessons—each built around a theme with associated vocabulary lists and fun activities—are just what teachers need to enhance children’s phonemic awareness and vocabulary development throughout the year. This proven curriculum

• Helps teachers succeed by explicitly showing them how to deliver curriculum content effectively.
• Engages children through structured and unstructured activities—including dramatic play, art, and music—that reinforce new words and concepts.
• Specifically addresses the needs of children from low-resource backgrounds and helps them catch up with their peers.
• Aligns with every part of the Head Start Early Learning Outcomes framework, so teachers know their curriculum is addressing the right areas.
• Is easy to use with existing programs and makes use of inexpensive supplies most teachers already have on hand.
• Helps parents continue the learning at home with reader-friendly sheets that explain what their children are learning and include easy activities for encouraging literacy development.

For each of the one-week lessons, teachers will get everything they need: a general lesson plan for the entire week, an overview of language concepts and goals, and detailed lesson plans for each weekday. “From-the-trenches” vignettes share other teachers’ success stories, and the useful observation forms help teachers track the growth and variety of children’s vocabulary and prove that students are making progress.
See which domain of school readiness in the Head Start Child Development and Early Learning Outcomes Framework this book addresses.