| Sect. 1 | A Perspective for Early Literacy Instruction | 1 |
| 1 | Beginning the Process: Understanding the Perspective | 3 |
| 2 | How Do Young Children Become Literate? | 18 |
| 3 | What Do Young Readers and Writers Learn in Becoming Literate? | 33 |
| Sect. 2 | Creating the Early Literacy Classroom | 73 |
| 4 | The Oral Language Patterns of Early Literacy Classrooms | 75 |
| 5 | The Texts of Early Literacy Classrooms: Texts Children Read | 94 |
| 6 | The Texts of Early Literacy Classrooms: Texts Children Write | 130 |
| 7 | The Learning Contexts of Early Literacy Classrooms: Events, Lessons, and Activities | 150 |
| 8 | Assessment in Early Literacy Classrooms | 173 |
| Sect. 3 | Connecting Early Literacy Classrooms to Other Literacy Communities | 213 |
| 9 | Connecting Early Literacy Classrooms to Literacy Communities in and beyond the School | 215 |
| 10 | Connecting to Children's Homes and Communities | 235 |
| 11 | Connecting to Communities of Early Literacy Teachers | 256 |
| Children's Books | 273 |
| References | 278 |
| Credits | 292 |
| Index | 293 |