Cultivating the Reader and Writer

Teaching Literacy as an Integrated Science

Young-Suk Grace Kim
Foreword by Steve Graham

HardcoverPaperbacke-bookprint + e-book
Hardcover
May 5, 2026
ISBN 9781462562886
Price: $83.00
328 Pages
Size: 7" x 10"
pre-order
Paperback
May 5, 2026
ISBN 9781462562664
Price: $55.00
328 Pages
Size: 7" x 10"
pre-order
e-book
May 5, 2026
PDF and Accessible ePub ?
Price: $55.00
328 Pages
pre-order
print + e-book
Paperback + e-Book (PDF and Accessible ePub) ?
Price: $110.00 $66.00
328 Pages
pre-order
professor copy Digital professor copy available on VitalSource once published ?

From a preeminent literacy scholar, this book provides a research-based framework to guide teachers on how the sciences of reading and writing can be merged to strengthen instruction in both areas. Young-Suk Grace Kim explains the essential skills and mechanisms that underpin reading and writing and describes ways to leverage their interconnections to accelerate student learning. The book offers comprehensive coverage of both theory and research, identifying underlying principles and demonstrating how to translate this knowledge into effective classroom practices in grades K–12. Differentiated instruction is emphasized throughout, and applications for diverse learners—including bilingual students and those with learning difficulties—are given explicit attention. Chapter-opening Guiding Questions and Classroom Connections boxes throughout enhance the book's utility as a course text and professional development resource.

“Kim somehow manages to completely dissect the intricacies of reading and writing development while bringing all elements into a cohesive narrative of what it means to help students become literate. Teacher preparation programs should absolutely use this book to help new educators understand the complexities and implications of their instruction. Educators who are new to reading science need this book to ensure that they are skillfully integrating instruction to maximize their impact and produce socially significant outcomes for all learners. This book is just what the field needs right now.”

—Leslie Zoroya, MA, Project Director, Reading/Language Arts, Los Angeles County Office of Education


“Learning to read and write are complex, interdependent processes. This book emphasizes the importance of learning and teaching foundational skills, including oral language skills, as the basis for developmentally appropriate instruction in both reading and writing. Kim also addresses the important roles of socioemotional factors and executive functioning in literacy development, as well as the assets that multilingual learners bring to their learning. I recommend this book for graduate-level courses in literacy development. Readers will benefit from the thorough presentation of both seminal and current research on literacy development, multilingual learning, differentiating instruction, and assessment. Throughout, Kim provides classroom connections, giving practitioners concrete strategies for implementing research-based instruction.”

—Pamela A. Mason, EdD, Chair, Literacy and Languages Concentration, Harvard Graduate School of Education


“Brilliantly bridges the research–practice gap by presenting literacy development through an integrated, evidence-based framework that moves beyond fragmented skill instruction. Kim's accessible synthesis of multiple frameworks for reading and writing makes complex developmental science not just understandable but actionable for practitioners. This book is essential for teacher educators, literacy coaches, graduate students in reading education or communication sciences and disorders, and anyone who cares deeply about literacy outcomes.”

—Tiffany P. Hogan, PhD, CCC-SLP, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, MGH Institute of Health Professions

About the Author

Young-Suk Grace Kim, EdD, is Professor and former Senior Associate Dean at the School of Education, University of California, Irvine. Previously she taught at Florida State University, where she served as Associate Director of the Florida Center for Reading Research. A former classroom teacher in San Francisco and in South Korea, Dr. Kim focuses her research on language and literacy development and effective instruction for racially, ethnically, economically, and linguistically diverse children. She is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. Dr. Kim currently serves as Editor of both the Journal of Educational Psychology and Scientific Studies of Reading, and has held leadership roles within national and international organizations.

Audience

Teachers of children ages 5–17 (grades K–12); literacy specialists and coaches; staff developers; teacher educators and students.

Course Use

Will serve as a supplemental text in advanced undergraduate- and graduate-level courses in elementary and secondary ELA methods.