A step-by-step guide to literacy education in grades 1-4, Building Words goes beyond theory to include specific guidelines and lesson plans for the classroom.This flexible, easy-to-use book includes almost everything you might need to structure an effective literacy program based on word analysis skills and strategies. The book guides the reader through a series of lessons, from initial assessment through the principles of emergent literacy and phonics, to the more advanced skills of contextual analysis and spelling. In addition, each section is complemented by dozens of songs, riddles, and puzzles that can be used in activities to practice and reinforce word analysis skills in the classroom.For teachers of grades 1-4 or early childhood educators.