For Elementary and Middle School Literacy Methods courses. Based on the same principles and guidelines as Tompkins'best-selling literacy text, this new volume gives prospective teachers the background they need to teach essential literacy skills in grades 4-8 including vocabulary, content area reading, the reading/writing connections, narrative text, and print skills. Throughout the text, Tompkins' trademark minilessons highlight coverage that is based on four contemporary theories of literacy learning: constructivist, interactive, socio-linguistic, and reader-response. Because a child's learning can be seriously jeopardized by poor reading skills, significant attention is paid throughout the text to provide ways to help struggling learners become competent readers and writers.