Accountability, in the form of standardized test scores, is built into many government literacy policies, with severe consequences for schools and districts that fail to meet ever-increasing performance levels. The key question this book addresses is whose knowledge is considered in framing government literacy policies? The intent is to raise awareness of the degree to which expertise is being ignored on a worldwide level and pseudo-science is becoming the basis for literacy policies and laws. The authors, all leading researchers from the U.S., U.K., Scotland, France, and Germany, have a wide range of views but share in common a deep concern about the lack of respect for knowledge among policy makers. Each author comes to the common subject of this volume from the vantage point of his or her major interests, ranging from an exposition of what should be the best knowledge utilized in an aspect of literacy education policy, to how political decisions are impacting literacy policy, to laying out the history of events in their own country. Collectively they offer a critical analysis of the condition of literacy education past and present and suggest alternative courses of action for the future.

This volume adds in important ways to understanding the power and complexity of the forces in the lives of children that impact their literacy learning. The critical issues presented emerge from interpretivist research and thinking practices that are constructivist in nature. The chapters by researchers, teacher researchers, teacher educators, and teachers are antidotes to the present political context in which political agendas are being used to define literacy, literacy teaching and learning, and literacy research in narrow ways. Providing a rich source of information about how young children come to know reading and writing as a tool of communication in a range of social and cultural contexts, this book:*presents current research and thinking in the field;*documents research that is currently being ignored by many who make decisions about children’s learning;*values who children are and what they bring with them to school;*provides a useful tool for advocacy and for social action toward improving education in ways that can make a difference in the lives of young children; and*raises thoughtful issues for discussion. Critical Issues in Early Literacy is essential reading for early childhood teachers and prospective teachers, for teacher educators, for literacy researchers (including teacher researchers), for special educators, for those working with English-language and foreign-language learners, and for early childhood education administrators, advocates, and policy makers.

'Describes the theory, purpose, and three procedures for recording and evaluating student reading via miscue analysis. Includes assessment forms and reading strategy lessons'--Provided by publisher.

Product Description: Book by Goodman, Yetta M. (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

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Product Description: Book by Goodman, Yetta M., Marek, Ann M.

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Product Description: How do whole language teachers evaluate their students? How can evaluation fit the principles and requirements of whole language? How can evaluation help whole language teachers learn more about their students? How can evaluation be made an integral part of the whole language program? Contributors to this book answer such questions with ideas that are grounded in proven, working methods of evaluation...read more

Product Description: Book by Goodman, Yetta M., Watson, Dorothy J., Burke, Carolyn L. (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)