Literacy Links ― Practical Strategies to Develop the Emergent Literacy At-Risk Children Need

When young children have been deprived of literacy-building experiences, is it fair for them to start school being taught the same way as those with a rich reading and writing background?

No, it's NOT fair, says reading expert Laura Robb. That's why she helped developLiteracy Links, a highly successful early intervention program, and why she wrote this book. Dedicated to young children with little exposure to literacy activities at home, the program provides the background knowledge these children need to succeed. The book explains exactly how this works.

Thoroughly comprehensive and practical, Literacy Links offers strategy after strategy to help literacy-deprived young learners. Robb has found that giving students the opportunity to experience family storybook reading at school works best. She offers four ways to reconstruct that experience and develop emergent literacy by

• organizing small separate kindergarten classes that respond to the children's needs and progress
• training adults to conduct family storybook reading within a regular school day
• building the literacy knowledge of small groups through a balanced read-aloud program and writing workshop
• setting up a summer school program for children who would benefit from more reading and writing.

These techniques, in fact, will benefit all children, regardless of background.

Enhanced by plentiful student work, reproducibles, and photographs, Literacy Links is just the book needed by classroom teachers, Title I Directors, and any administrator who's serious about developing emergent literacy in every child.

LAURA ROBB is the Director of Language Arts and Curriculum Coordinator for Powhatan School in Boyce, Virginia. Author of Teaching Reading in Middle School (Scholastic Professional Books) and other books on reading, conferring, and writing, Robb teaches eighth-grade reading-writing workshop and coaches teachers in her school. She also facilitates ongoing professional study programs for Harrisonburg City Schools, Shenandoah County Public Schools, and Winchester City Schools. Robb is a regular contributor to professional journals such as The New Advocate, Book Links, and Instructor and is a consulting author for the Great Source. She has edited and collected two poetry anthologies: Snuffles and Snouts (Dial) and Music and Drum (Philomel), and speaks about literacy issues throughout the United States.