VERNON
HILLS, IL, April 14, 2004—the Comprehensive
Literacy Resource for Kindergarten Teachers is
being heralded as the definitive resource linking research
and assessment to instruction. Authored by Miriam P.
Trehearne, kindergarten and early literacy specialist,
the new title is published by ETA/Cuisenaire, the industry
leader in interactive literacy programs and manipulative-based
education.
"In surveying the existing materials available
to kindergarten teachers and early literacy educators,
what I felt was lacking was a comprehensive resource that
combines the supporting research base with the day-to-day ‘how-to’ guide
to classroom instruction," said Ms. Trehearne. "In
writing the Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Kindergarten
Teachers, my objective was to provide a concise explanation
of both the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ of
teaching beginning readers, and address the areas that
research indicates are essential to reading success, including
oral language, phonological awareness, and print awareness."
The Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Kindergarten
Teachers emphasizes
how critical early literacy is to a student’s success
in grasping subject matter across the curriculum. "If
we, as educators, can provide children with the tools to
crack the reading code at the kindergarten level, we can
make great strides in ensuring their ability to achieve
in future subject matter and grade levels," noted
Ms. Trehearne.
As both a professional reference and lesson guide, the Comprehensive
Literacy Resource for Kindergarten Teachers empowers
educators to effectively teach early literacy. Within
the framework of the book, Ms. Trehearne establishes
why teaching literacy in kindergarten is not only developmentally
appropriate, but developmentally necessary. Her book
focuses exclusively on lessons and activities that have
been proven by research to succeed at the kindergarten
level.
"This is the most wonderful book I have gotten
my hands on in 19 years of teaching. The book is so well-organized
that you can find exactly what you are looking for in little
or no time," commented Brenda Trapp, Kindergarten
Grade-Level Chairperson at Forest Home Avenue School in
Milwaukee . Trapp is employed by the largest elementary
school in Wisconsin and is one of the first customers to
use the Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Kindergarten
Teachers. "The greatest thing is that it is
specifically designed for the kindergarten teacher. Many
times we have to buy books and wade through the pages,
finding activities that we can ‘change’ or ‘adapt’ to
meet the developmental stages of our children."
The Comprehensive Literacy Resource for
Kindergarten Teachers provides strategies for teaching
and scaffolding literacy for children with differentiated
learning styles and a range of abilities. Each chapter
of the 580-page volume is organized (or formatted) to
address key areas of the kindergarten literacy process
on three levels: research, assessment, and instruction.
In addition, each chapter is supplemented with Blackline
Masters, including literacy assessments, observation
checklists, summaries, literacy home links, and other
reproducibles.
"I specifically love the fact that the research
support for the activities and methods are included right
in the book," added Trapp. "Many times books
say that ‘research supports our methods and techniques,’ but
fail to give you the specifics on where to find this ‘so-called’ research."
Another primary objective of the Comprehensive Literacy
Resource for Kindergarten Teachers is fostering
successful home-school partnerships between teachers
and parents. Research indicates that parent-school links
in the area of literacy learning are key determinants
of student success, regardless of the family’s
educational background or social status. Ms. Trehearne
provides insight as to what constitutes a successful
parental involvement program, along with Blackline Masters
on literacy workshops, teacher-parent correspondence,
and effective techniques to assessing and supporting
literacy learning at home.
The 580-page the Comprehensive Literacy
Resource for Kindergarten Teachers is priced at
$79.95. To view a sample chapter and complete table of
contents, visit www.etacuisenaire.com/ksmpchap.
The Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Kindergarten
Teachers is
the first in a series of professional books on literacy
instruction to be written by Ms. Trehearne and published
by ETA/Cuisenaire. A pre-kindergarten edition will be
released in fall 2004, and a grades 1-2 volume will follow
in early 2005.
About Miriam P. Trehearne
Miriam Trehearne,
a kindergarten and early literacy specialist, brings over
30 years of experience to the Comprehensive
Literacy Resource for Kindergarten Teachers. She has
been a classroom and resource teacher, exceptional-needs
program specialist, university associate, and a Specialist
in Early Literacy with the Calgary , Canada , Board of
Education. In her work with the Calgary Board of Education,
Ms. Trehearne led the three-year Early Literacy Research
Project in 56 high-needs schools. The project succeeded
in helping the participating schools close the literacy
gap with 85.4% of students meeting or surpassing the provincial
benchmarks, according to the results of the third-grade
language arts provincial assessments. Ms. Trehearne is
also a frequent speaker at educational conferences and
has authored numerous articles for professional journals.
About ETA/Cuisenaire
ETA/Cuisenaireis recognized as the premier publisher and pioneer of Interactive
Literacy and manipulatives-based education, with more than 8,000 supplemental
reading, math, and science resources. Aligned to state and national standards,
these products offer hands-on educational opportunities that make learning
fun for students and teaching more effective for educators. For
more information, visit www.etacuisenaire.com or
call 800-445-5985.
For more information, press only:
Londa Della 800-445-5985, ext. 5219,
