This book, written by an international team of experienced researchers, investigates unique and dynamic approaches to key issues in policy transformation, curriculum reforms and teacher training in three cultures - China, Japan and the United States - in a globalized world. By examining their respective policy choices and evidence-based practices, the authors show how best to provide for young children based on their needs and interests, and the three countries' strategies for doing so. This book provides the latest information on the rapid developments already underway and further changes to be expected in these diverse cultures.

National Geographic Primary Readers pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with engaging text by skilled authors to help your child learn to read. Developed by education experts, this series of books for beginner readers is spread across four levels: Early Reader, Becoming Fluent, Becoming Independent and Independent Reader. Discover the undercover world of fish and explore their beautiful home, the Coral Reef. Told in simple yet lively text, Swim, Fish! will enchant children who are just beginning their reading journey. Level 1: Early Reader books contain simple sentences and are just right for children who can decode with ease and are beginning to read fluently. They are ideal for readers of Yellow and Blue book bands for guided reading. For another National Geographic Level 1 Reader, try Whales (9780008422196).

National Geographic Primary Readers pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with engaging text by skilled authors to help your child learn to read. Developed by education experts, this series of books for beginner readers is spread across four levels: Early Reader, Becoming Fluent, Becoming Independent and Independent Reader. Hang On, Monkey! uses simple vocabulary and fun pictures of all types of monkeys to capture the interest and help develop the skills of early readers. Told in simple yet lively text, Hang On, Monkey! will enchant children who are just beginning their reading journey. Level 1: Early Reader books contain simple sentences and are just right for kids who can decode with ease and are beginning to read fluently. They are ideal for readers of Yellow and Blue book bands for guided reading. For another National Geographic Level 1 Reader, try Flutter, Butterfly! (9780008266493).

Representing the state of the art in multimedia applications and their promise for enhancing early literacy development, this volume broadens the field of reading research by looking beyond print-only experiences to young readers' encounters with multimedia stories on the Internet and DVD. Multimedia storybooks include, in addition to static pictures and written text, features such as oral text, animations, sounds, zooms, and scaffolds designed to help convey meaning. These features are changing how young children read text, and also provide technology-based scaffolds for helping struggling readers. Multimedia and Literacy Development reports experimental research and practices with multimedia stories indicating that new dimensions of media contribute to young children's ability to understand stories and to read texts independently. This is the first synthesis of evidence-based research in this field. Four key themes are highlighted: Understanding the multimedia environment for learning Designing multimedia applications for learning New approaches to storybook reading Multimedia applications in classroom instruction. Written in jargon-free language for an international audience of students in university courses on literacy and information technology, researchers, policymakers, program developers, and media specialists, this volume is essential reading for all professionals interested in early literacy and early interventions.

Representing the state of the art in multimedia applications and their promise for enhancing early literacy development, this volume broadens the field of reading research by looking beyond print-only experiences to young readers' encounters with multimedia stories on the Internet and DVD. Multimedia storybooks include, in addition to static pictures and written text, features such as oral text, animations, sounds, zooms, and scaffolds designed to help convey meaning. These features are changing how young children read text, and also provide technology-based scaffolds for helping struggling readers.

Multimedia and Literacy Development reports experimental research and practices with multimedia stories indicating that new dimensions of media contribute to young children's ability to understand stories and to read texts independently. This is the first synthesis of evidence-based research in this field. Four key themes are highlighted:

Written in jargon-free language for an international audience of students in university courses on literacy and information technology, researchers, policymakers, program developers, and media specialists, this volume is essential reading for all professionals interested in early literacy and early interventions.

Television represents a potent social influence for today's children. Whether it is a positive or negative force, however, continues to be hotly debated. This is the central issue of this second edition. Has television contributed to a decline in literacy skills? Are the charges justified by existing evidence or by the results of current experimentation? Are there certain cultural biases toward television that narrowly define its uses as a learning tool? Can these issues be resolved to take advantage of new opportunities that the television medium presents? Television's influence on literacy and school learning are examined within a framework of four major themes: the displacement hypothesis, whether television influences the way children learn, the public's concern that television affects school-related behaviors, and television's capacity to whet children's academic interests. This book takes a fresh look at these themes, starting with a review and synthesis of major studies to date and moving on to a new series of studies analyzing the relationship between media and literacy.

National Geographic Primary Readers is a high-interest series of beginning reading books that have been developed in consultation with education experts. The books pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with lively text by skilled children's book authors across four reading levels. Come along as little puppy goes out exploring in the world. Along the way he meets new friends, big and small, and sees amazing sites, but can't wait to get back home to Mum. Told in simple yet lively text, Jump, Pup! will enchant kids. Level 1: Early reader These books contain simple sentences and are just right for kids who can decode with ease and are beginning to read fluently. They are ideal for readers of Yellow and Blue banded books.

"Hang, On Monkey "uses simple vocabulary and fun pictures to capture the interest and help develop the skills of beginning readers. The crazy antics, humor, and fun information make this new reading experience a treat.

Schools, today, are in the midst of the most major, costly educational reform movement in their history as they grapple with the federal mandates to leave no children behind, says author Susan B. Neuman, former Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education under President George W. Bush. Although some efforts for investing resources will be substantially more productive than others, there is little evidence that, despite many heroic attempts to beat the odds, any of these efforts will close more than a fraction of the differences in achievement for poor minority children and their middleclass peers.

As Neuman explains in this insightful, revealing book, schools will fail, not due to the soft bigotry of low expectations, but because there are multitudes of children growing up in circumstances that make them highly vulnerable. Children who come to school from dramatically unequal circumstances leave school with similarly unequal skills and abilities.

In these pages, however, Neuman shows how the odds can be changed, how we can break the cycle of poverty and disadvantage for children at risk After laying the critical groundwork for the need for change--excessive waste with little effect--this book provides a vivid portrait of changing the odds for high-poverty children. Describing how previous reforms have missed the mark, it offers a framework based on seven essential principles for implementing more effective programs and policies.

Building on successes while being fiscally responsible is a message that has been shown to have wide bipartisan appeal, embraced by both liberals and conservatives. Following Neuman's essential principles, chapters describe programs for changing the odds for children, when the cognitive gaps are beginning to form, in these earliest years of their lives. In a highly readable style, Neuman highlights programs that are making a difference in children's lives across the country, weaving together narratives that tell a compelling story of hope and promise for our most disadvantaged children.

National Geographic Primary Readers pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with engaging text by skilled authors to help your child learn to read. Developed by education experts, this series of books for beginner readers is spread across four levels: Early Reader, Becoming Fluent, Becoming Independent and Independent Reader. Come along on an adventure through the rain forest! Along the way, you'll meet new friends big and small, see amazing sights, and learn all about the creatures that make their home in the rain forest. Told in simple yet lively text, Swing, Sloth! will enchant children who are just beginning their reading journey. Level 1: Early Reader books contain simple sentences and are just right for kids who can decode with ease and are beginning to read fluently. They are ideal for readers of Yellow and Blue book bands for guided reading. For another National Geographic Level 1 Reader, try Play, Kitty! (9780008266516).

This book, written by an international team of experienced researchers, investigates unique and dynamic approaches to key issues in policy transformation, curriculum reforms and teacher training in three cultures - China, Japan and the United States - in a globalized world. By examining their respective policy choices and evidence-based practices, the authors show how best to provide for young children based on their needs and interests, and the three countries' strategies for doing so. This book provides the latest information on the rapid developments already underway and further changes to be expected in these diverse cultures.

The National Geographic Readers series has expanded beyond elementary school levels to reach children at the very beginning of their lifelong relationship with reading." Hop Bunny " uses simple vocabulary and fun pictures to capture the interest and help develop the skills of beginning readers. The cuteness, humor, and fun information make this new reading experience a treat.

Synthesizing the best current knowledge about early literacy, this comprehensive handbook brings together leading researchers from multiple disciplines. The volume identifies the instructional methods and areas of focus shown to be most effective for promoting young children's (PreK-2) growth in reading, writing, oral language, and the connections among them. In 33 chapters, the Handbook covers conceptual foundations; development and instruction of both code- and meaning-related literacy skills; professional development and family engagement; supporting equity across populations; and learning beyond traditional boundaries, including digital and out-of-school contexts. Highlighted throughout are issues around access to high-quality instruction, working with multilingual populations, and data-based decision making and interventions.

"Hang, On Monkey "uses simple vocabulary and fun pictures to capture the interest and help develop the skills of beginning readers. The crazy antics, humor, and fun information make this new reading experience a treat.

"From the Trade Paperback edition."

The field of early literacy has seen significant recent advances in theory, research, and practice. This volume brings together leading authorities to report on current findings, integrate insights from different disciplinary perspectives, and explore ways to provide children with the strongest possible literacy foundations in the first six years of life. The Handbook first addresses broad questions about the nature of emergent literacy, summarizing current knowledge on cognitive pathways, biological underpinnings, and the importance of cultural contexts. Chapters in subsequent sections examine various strands of knowledge and skills that emerge as children become literate, as well as the role played by experiences with peers and families. Particular attention is devoted to the challenges involved in making schools work for all children, including members of linguistic and ethnic minority groups and children living in poverty. Finally, approaches to instruction, assessment, and early intervention are described, and research on their effectiveness is presented.

National Geographic Primary Readers is a high-interest series of beginning reading books that have been developed in consultation with education experts. The books pair magnificent National Geographic photographs with lively text by skilled children's book authors across four reading levels. Join the little lion cub on his day of adventures on the African savanna. Watch him run, jump, play, eat, and sleep, cuddle with Mum, and roll around with his brother and sister. Told in simple yet lively text, Go, Cub! will enchant kids. Level 1: Early reader These books contain simple sentences and are just right for kids who can decode with ease and are beginning to read fluently. They are ideal for readers of Yellow and Blue banded books.

Television represents a potent social influence for today's children. Whether it is a positive or negative force, however, continues to be hotly debated. This is the central issue of this second edition. Has television contributed to a decline in literacy skills? Are the charges justified by existing evidence or by the results of current experimentation? Are there certain cultural biases toward television that narrowly define its uses as a learning tool? Can these issues be resolved to take advantage of new opportunities that the television medium presents? Television's influence on literacy and school learning are examined within a framework of four major themes: the displacement hypothesis, whether television influences the way children learn, the public's concern that television affects school-related behaviors, and television's capacity to whet children's academic interests. This book takes a fresh look at these themes, starting with a review and synthesis of major studies to date and moving on to a new series of studies analyzing the relationship between media and literacy.

Building crucial bridges between theory, research, and practice, this volume brings together leading authorities on the literacy development of young children. The Handbook examines the full range of factors that shape learning in and out of the classroom, from basic developmental processes to family and sociocultural contexts, pedagogical strategies, curricula, and policy issues. Highlights of Volume 3 include cutting-edge perspectives on English language learning; innovative ways to support print knowledge, phonological awareness, and other code-related skills; and exemplary approaches to early intervention and teacher professional development.