“Amidst a sea of political controversy surrounding early reading instruction, this book offers the most up-to-date and definitive research perspectives available today. While dealing fully and well with the importance of phonemic awareness and decoding, it places reading within the wider context of language development and child development. I particularly applaud the stress on children, rich and poor, learning to read in such a way that they don’t just pass reading tests, but are successful learners in the content areas throughout their school years. This book is essential reading, cover to cover, for anyone interested in reading and literacy.”

—James Paul Gee, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison


“This extraordinarily valuable resource brings together the work of knowledgeable and credible scholars in a variety of areas related to early literacy research. Writing in a manner that is accessible to both researchers and practitioners, the contributors go beyond updating us on the vast amount of accumulated knowledge on emerging and early literacy. They help us make sense of its applications to our work with young children and those who care for and teach them.”

—Dorothy S. Strickland, PhD, Department of Learning and Teaching, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey


“This book is brimming with research-based insights into foundational topics in early literacy learning and instruction, including vocabulary development, phonemic awareness, the role of policy, and sociocognition. It also contributes to a growing knowledge base in such cutting-edge areas as the role of caregiver-teacher collaboration, second language learning, brain imaging, and early educational interventions. Delving deeply into early childhood literacy issues, this book will make a powerful contribution as a guiding text for researchers, graduate students, and educators.”

—Linda D. Labbo, PhD, Department of Language and Literacy, University of Georgia


“I used both Volumes 1 and 2 in a course on theory and research in early literacy. The texts provided my graduate students with contemporary theoretical frameworks and addressed a range of questions commonly asked by those engaged in dissertation research. I would definitely use these books again.”

—Olivia Saracho, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Maryland, College Park