Gail Tompkins   I’m a teacher, first and foremost.  I began my career as a first-grade teacher in Virginia in the 1970s.  I remember one first grader who cried as the first day of school was ending.  When I tried to comfort him, he sobbed accusingly, “I came to first grade to learn to read and write and you forgot to teach me.”  The next day, I taught that child and his classmates to read and write! We made a small patterned book about one of the stuffed animals in the classroom.  I wrote some of the words and the students supplied the others, and I duplicated copies of the book for each child.  We practiced reading it until everyone memorized our little book.  The children proudly took their books home to read to their parents. I’ve never forgotten that child’s comment and what it taught me:  Teachers must understand their students and meet their expectations.

            My first few years of teaching left me with more questions than answers, and I wanted to become a more effective teacher so I started taking graduate courses.  In time I earned a master’s degree and then a doctorate in Reading/Language Arts, both from Virginia Tech.  Through my graduate studies, I learned a lot of answers, but more importantly, I learned to keep on asking questions.

            Then I began teaching at the university level.  First I taught at Miami University in Ohio, then at the University of Oklahoma, and finally at California State University, Fresno. I’ve taught preservice teachers and practicing teachers working on master’s degrees, and I’ve directed doctoral dissertations. I’ve received awards for my teaching, including the Provost’s Award for Excellence in Teaching at California State University, Fresno, and I was inducted into the California Reading Association’s Reading Hall of Fame. Throughout the years, my students have taught me as much as I taught them.  I’m grateful to all of them for what I’ve learned.

            I’ve been writing college textbooks for more than 20 years, and I think of the books I write as teaching, too.  I’ll be teaching you as you read this text.  As I write a book, I try to anticipate the questions you might ask and provide that information.  I also include students’ samples so you can see concepts that I’m explaining, and I include lists of trade books that you can refer to as you work with students.

Chapter 1 Learning and the Language Arts  2

Vignette First Graders Apply the Six Language Arts  2

HOW CHILDREN LEARN  5
The Process of Learning 5
Learning Strategies  6
Social Contexts of Learning  7
Implications for Learning Language Arts  7

LANGUAGE LEARNING AND CULTURE 8
The Four Language Systems  8
Academic Language  11
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students 11
Critical Literacy 13
Implications for Learning Language Arts 14

HOW STUDENTS LEARN LANGUAGE ARTS  14
A Community of Learners 14
Self-Efficacy  17
The Six Language Arts 18
Language Arts Strategies  20
Communicative Competence  24

Engaging English Learners  24

Summing Up  25

Chapter 2 Teaching and Assessing Language Arts  26

Vignette A Sixth Grade Language Arts Class  26

PATTERNS OF PRACTICE  30
Literature Focus Units  31
Literature Circles 31
Reading and Writing Workshop 33
Thematic Units 37

THE TEACHER’S ROLE  38
Scaffolding Learners  38
Differentiating Instruction  41

Engaging English Learners  42

Teaching Struggling Students  42
Language Arts Standards 44

ASSESSING LEARNING  45
Monitoring Progress  46
Evaluating Learning  48
Implementing Portfolios 49
High-Stakes Assessments 56

Summing Up  57

Chapter 3 Emergent Literacy  58

Vignette K–1 Students Read and Write  58
FOSTERING CHILDREN’S INTEREST IN WRITTEN LANGUAGE  62
Written Language Concepts  62
Alphabet Concepts  64

YOUNG CHILDREN BECOME READERS 74
Shared Reading 74
Language Experience Approach 78

YOUNG CHILDREN LEARN TO WRITE  78
Introducing Young Children to Writing 81
Interactive Writing  81
Minilessons  84

Summing Up  85

Chapter 4 Personal Writing 86

Vignette Seventh Graders Respond to Literature  86

WRITING IN JOURNALS  90
Personal Journals 90
Dialogue Journals 92
Reading Logs  93
Double-Entry Journals 95
Learning Logs  96
Simulated Journals 98

SOCIAL NETWORKING  101
Classroom Blogs 101
Safety Concerns 103

LETTER WRITING  104
Friendly Letters 104
Email Messages 106
Business Letters 107
Simulated Letters 107

TEACHING PERSONAL WRITING 107
Minilessons  108
Mentor Texts  108

Engaging English Learners 110

Assessing Students’ Personal Writing 112

Summing Up  113

Chapter 5 Oral Language: Listening and Talking 114

Vignette Second Graders Read Folktales 114

LISTENING  118
Types of Listening  118
Reading Aloud 122
Persuasion 125

TALK  127
Talking in Small Groups 127
Discussions 128
Oral Reports  133
Interviews 133
Debates 134

TEACHING ORAL LANGUAGE  136
Minilessons  136
Mentor Texts  137
Taking Notes  137

Engaging English Learners  140

Assessing Oral Language 142

Summing Up  143

Chapter 6 Written Language: Reading and Writing  144

Vignette Ms. Kakutani Uses the Reading Process 144
THE READING PROCESS  148
Stage 1: Prereading  148
Stage 2: Reading  149
Stage 3: Responding  151
Stage 4: Exploring  152
Stage 5: Applying  153
Teaching the Reading Process 153

THE WRITING PROCESS  156
Stage 1: Prewriting  157
Stage 2: Drafting  158
Stage 3: Revising  159
Stage 4: Editing  162
Stage 5: Publishing   164
Teaching the Writing Process  166
The Author’s Craft  168

Engaging English Learners 172

Reading and Writing Are Reciprocal Processes 173

Summing Up  175

Chapter 7 Visual Language: Viewing and Visually Representing  176

Vignette Eighth Graders Learn About Irony  176

VISUAL ELEMENTS 181
Color  181
Line  184
Symbols 185
Humor  188
Teaching Visual Language  190

VIEWING 192
Art Appreciation 192
Visual Language in Books  196

VISUALLY REPRESENTING 203
Artistic Representations 203
Graphic Representations 204
Dramatic Representations 204

Summing Up  209

Chapter 8 Building Vocabulary  210

Vignette Eighth Graders Study Words  210

HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE 213
Old English (A.D. 450–1100)  213
Middle English (1100–1500)  214
Modern English (1500–Present) 215
Learning About Word Histories 215

WORDS AND THEIR MEANINGS  216
Morphological Information  217
Synonyms and Antonyms 219
Homonyms  222
Multiple Meanings  223
Idioms  224
Borrowed Words 225

TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT WORDS 225
Targeting Words to Teach  228
Word-Learning Strategies  229
Word Walls  230
Word-Study Activities 232
Minilessons  234

Differentiating Instruction  237

Engaging English Learners  238

Assessing Vocabulary Knowledge  240

Summing Up  241

Chapter 9 Comprehending and Composing Stories  242

Vignette Fifth Graders Read a Novel  242

CONCEPT OF STORY 247
Elements of Story Structure  247
Story Genres  256
Narrative Devices  258
Teaching Students About Story Structure  258

Engaging English Learners  263

Assessing Students’ Knowledge About Stories 264

COMPREHENDING STORIES 264
Guided Reading 264
Readers Theatre 265
Responding to Stories  266
Retelling Stories 268

WRITING STORIES  270
Writing Retellings 271
Story Innovations 272
Genre Stories  273
Original Stories 274

Summing Up  275

Chapter 10 Investigating Nonfiction 276

Vignette Kindergartners Learn About Fish 276

NONFICTION BOOKS 281
Expository Text Structures  285
Nonfiction Features  287
Comparing Fiction and Nonfiction Books  287

RESEARCH  289
The Research Process  289
Research Tools 289
Reporting  291
Multigenre Projects  299
Life Stories  301

TEACHING NONFICTION  304
Research Workshop  305
Minilessons  306
Mentor Texts  306

Engaging English Learners  308

Assessing Nonfiction Projects 309

Summing Up  310

Chapter 11 Exploring Poetry 312

Vignette Sixth Graders Participate in Poetry Workshop 312

PLAYING WITH WORDS  316
Laughing With Language  316
Creating Word Pictures  318
Experimenting With Rhyme  318

THE POETRY GENRE 320
Poems Students Read  320
Poems Students Write  320
Poetic Devices  333

TEACHING POETRY 335
How to Read Poems  335
Teaching Students to Write Poems  340
Minilessons  342
Mentor Texts  344

Engaging English Learners  344

Assessing Poetry 345

Summing Up  347

Chapter 12 Learning to Spell Conventionally  348

Vignette Fourth Graders Study Spelling Words 348

SPELLING DEVELOPMENT 352
Invented Spelling  353
Stages of Spelling Development 353
Analyzing Students’ Spelling Development  356

TEACHING SPELLING  360
Spelling Strategies  360
Components of the Spelling Program  361
Minilessons  367
Weekly Spelling Tests 367

Engaging English Learners  371

Assessing Students’ Spelling Development  372

Summing Up  373

Chapter 13 Language Tools: Grammar and Handwriting 374

Vignette Fifth Graders Learn Grammar Through Literature  374

GRAMMAR  379
Grammar Concepts  379
Teaching Grammar  382

Engaging English Learners  390

Assessing Students’ Knowledge About Grammar  390

HANDWRITING  391
Handwriting Forms  391
Students’ Handwriting Development  392
Teaching Handwriting 393

Summing Up  399

Chapter 14 Putting It All Together 400

Vignette First Graders Study the Solar System  400

LITERATURE FOCUS UNITS  405
How to Develop a Literature Focus Unit  405
A Primary Grade Unit on The Mitten  409
An Upper Grade Unit on The Giver  411

LITERATURE CIRCLES  411
How to Organize Literature Circles  411

READING AND WRITING WORKSHOP  414
Establishing a Workshop Environment 415
How to Set Up a Reading Workshop  415
How to Set Up a Writing Workshop  417

THEMATIC UNITS  420
How to Develop a Thematic Unit  421
Using Content-Area Textbooks 423
A Fourth Grade Unit on Flight 425

Summing Up  427

Special Features Table of Contents

Minilesson

Mr. Voss’s Kindergartners Learn to Predict  85
Mr. Rinaldi’s Eighth Graders Write Simulated Letters 109
Ms. Shapiro Teaches Her Second Graders About Sustaining Conversations  138
Ms. Yarborough Introduces Revising to Third Graders 168
Mrs. Monroe Teaches Her Sixth Graders About Word Histories 236
Mrs. Levin’s Second Graders Learn About Theme  260
Mr. Uchida Teaches His Fifth Graders How to Write Data Charts  307
Mr. Johnston Teaches His Third Graders to Read Poems Expressively 343
Mrs. Hamilton Teaches the “Think It Out” Strategy  369
Ms. Thomas Teaches Manuscript Letter Formation  395

Step-by-Step

Minilessons  31
Think-Alouds  40
Rubrics 51
Shared Reading 75
Language Experience Approach 79
Interactive Writing 83
Classroom Blogs 102
Interactive Read-Alouds 123
Grand Conversations  130
Hot Seat 135
Revising Groups 160
Interpreting Political Cartoons 190
Viewing Images 193
Story Boards  199
Process Drama 207
Word Learning 229
Word Walls  231
Sketch-to-Stretch  256
Guided Reading 266
Retelling Stories 269
The Research Process  290
Cubing  294
Choral Reading 338
Gallery Walks  342
Making Words 366
Word Ladders  368
Anticipation Guides  424

Integrating Technology
 
Literacy and the Internet 23
Online Assessment Tools 55
Electronic and Interactive Media 73
Technology-Supported Activities 38
Publishing Writing Online 166
Digital Tools for Viewing and Visually Representing 191
Digital Tools for Teaching Vocabulary 236
Digital Tools for Reading and Writing Stories 261
Nonfiction Applications of Digital Technology 308
Online Resources for Writing and Learning About Poetry  344
Keyboarding  397

Common Core State Standards

Language Arts Standards 45
Emergent Literacy 62
Personal Writing 108
Oral Language  136
Written Language 147
Visual Language 190
Vocabulary  226
Stories  259
Nonfiction  306
Poetry  317
Spelling 360
Grammar 384

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