Barbara Culatta, PhD Dr. Barbara Culatta is a Professor of Communication Disorders and Associate Dean of the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University. She received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a postdoctoral fellowship from Johns Hopkins University. She has written a book entitled Language and Literacy Instruction in the Classroom and numerous book chapters and publications on language and literacy instruction. She has directed early literacy and intermediate grade literacy instructional projects. Dr. Culatta has conducted federally-funded literacy projects in Spanish and English in Head Start and public school settings and was awarded research and training grants in early language intervention and collaborative-based language and literacy instruction. Her research evaluates the effectiveness of language intervention procedures for improving children's academic functioning. She relies on play, story enactment, hands-on experiences, and instructional conversations as contexts for enhancing language and literacy skills in young children. Kendra Hall-Kenyon, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Brigham Young University. Sharon Black is a writing consultant and editor at the David O. McKay School of Education. She is also an Associate Teaching Professor in the English Department at Brigham Young University. She has held this position since 1992.

• Chapter 1. Laying Foundations: Principles and Practices to Guide Early Literacy Programs Sharon Black Chapter 2. Dynamic Systems Theory Applied to Language and Literacy Learning Carol Westby Chapter 3. Learning What Print Means: Print Awareness in School, Home, and Community Sharon Black Chapter 4. Exploring Squiggles on Paper: Teaching and Practicing Letter Knowledge Skills Gary Eldon Bingham, Sharon Black, and Barbara Culatta Chapter 5. Recognizing and Manipulating Sounds: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon and Barbara Culatta Chapter 6. Putting Letters and Sounds Together: Phonics and Decoding Strategies Barbara Culatta, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Sharon Black Chapter 7. Using Sounds and Letters to Form Words: Developmental Spelling Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, Ann C. Sharp, and Brenda L. Sabey Chapter 8. Bringing Stories to Life: Approaches to Understanding and Enjoying Narratives Barbara Culatta, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Sharon Black Chapter 9. Learning About the World: Exploring and Comprehending Expository Texts Sharon Black, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Barbara Culatta Chapter 10. Working with Parents: Ways to Involve Parents in Early Literacy at Home and at School Gary Eldon Bingham, Byran Korth, and Esther Marshall Chapter 11. Enriching Language and Literacy: Integrating Visual Arts, Music, Dance, and Drama Sharon Black Chapter 12. Assessing Students' Needs and Progress: Use of Data to Adjust Instruction Barbara Culatta and Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon Chapter 13. Learning and Improving Together: Collaborative Professional Development John Wilkinson and Barbara Culatta Chapter 14. Applying Systematic and Engaging Practices: Planning Units and Lesson Activities Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon and Barbara Culatta

Barbara Culatta, PhD Dr. Barbara Culatta is a Professor of Communication Disorders and Associate Dean of the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University. She received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a postdoctoral fellowship from Johns Hopkins University. She has written a book entitled Language and Literacy Instruction in the Classroom and numerous book chapters and publications on language and literacy instruction. She has directed early literacy and intermediate grade literacy instructional projects. Dr. Culatta has conducted federally-funded literacy projects in Spanish and English in Head Start and public school settings and was awarded research and training grants in early language intervention and collaborative-based language and literacy instruction. Her research evaluates the effectiveness of language intervention procedures for improving children's academic functioning. She relies on play, story enactment, hands-on experiences, and instructional conversations as contexts for enhancing language and literacy skills in young children. Kendra Hall-Kenyon, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Brigham Young University. Sharon Black is a writing consultant and editor at the David O. McKay School of Education. She is also an Associate Teaching Professor in the English Department at Brigham Young University. She has held this position since 1992.

• Chapter 1. Laying Foundations: Principles and Practices to Guide Early Literacy Programs Sharon Black Chapter 2. Dynamic Systems Theory Applied to Language and Literacy Learning Carol Westby Chapter 3. Learning What Print Means: Print Awareness in School, Home, and Community Sharon Black Chapter 4. Exploring Squiggles on Paper: Teaching and Practicing Letter Knowledge Skills Gary Eldon Bingham, Sharon Black, and Barbara Culatta Chapter 5. Recognizing and Manipulating Sounds: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon and Barbara Culatta Chapter 6. Putting Letters and Sounds Together: Phonics and Decoding Strategies Barbara Culatta, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Sharon Black Chapter 7. Using Sounds and Letters to Form Words: Developmental Spelling Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, Ann C. Sharp, and Brenda L. Sabey Chapter 8. Bringing Stories to Life: Approaches to Understanding and Enjoying Narratives Barbara Culatta, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Sharon Black Chapter 9. Learning About the World: Exploring and Comprehending Expository Texts Sharon Black, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Barbara Culatta Chapter 10. Working with Parents: Ways to Involve Parents in Early Literacy at Home and at School Gary Eldon Bingham, Byran Korth, and Esther Marshall Chapter 11. Enriching Language and Literacy: Integrating Visual Arts, Music, Dance, and Drama Sharon Black Chapter 12. Assessing Students' Needs and Progress: Use of Data to Adjust Instruction Barbara Culatta and Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon Chapter 13. Learning and Improving Together: Collaborative Professional Development John Wilkinson and Barbara Culatta Chapter 14. Applying Systematic and Engaging Practices: Planning Units and Lesson Activities Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon and Barbara Culatta

Barbara Culatta, PhD Dr. Barbara Culatta is a Professor of Communication Disorders and Associate Dean of the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University. She received her PhD from the University of Pittsburgh and completed a postdoctoral fellowship from Johns Hopkins University. She has written a book entitled Language and Literacy Instruction in the Classroom and numerous book chapters and publications on language and literacy instruction. She has directed early literacy and intermediate grade literacy instructional projects. Dr. Culatta has conducted federally-funded literacy projects in Spanish and English in Head Start and public school settings and was awarded research and training grants in early language intervention and collaborative-based language and literacy instruction. Her research evaluates the effectiveness of language intervention procedures for improving children's academic functioning. She relies on play, story enactment, hands-on experiences, and instructional conversations as contexts for enhancing language and literacy skills in young children. Kendra Hall-Kenyon, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Department of Education at Brigham Young University. Sharon Black is a writing consultant and editor at the David O. McKay School of Education. She is also an Associate Teaching Professor in the English Department at Brigham Young University. She has held this position since 1992.

• Chapter 1. Laying Foundations: Principles and Practices to Guide Early Literacy Programs Sharon Black Chapter 2. Dynamic Systems Theory Applied to Language and Literacy Learning Carol Westby Chapter 3. Learning What Print Means: Print Awareness in School, Home, and Community Sharon Black Chapter 4. Exploring Squiggles on Paper: Teaching and Practicing Letter Knowledge Skills Gary Eldon Bingham, Sharon Black, and Barbara Culatta Chapter 5. Recognizing and Manipulating Sounds: Phonological and Phonemic Awareness Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon and Barbara Culatta Chapter 6. Putting Letters and Sounds Together: Phonics and Decoding Strategies Barbara Culatta, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Sharon Black Chapter 7. Using Sounds and Letters to Form Words: Developmental Spelling Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, Ann C. Sharp, and Brenda L. Sabey Chapter 8. Bringing Stories to Life: Approaches to Understanding and Enjoying Narratives Barbara Culatta, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Sharon Black Chapter 9. Learning About the World: Exploring and Comprehending Expository Texts Sharon Black, Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon, and Barbara Culatta Chapter 10. Working with Parents: Ways to Involve Parents in Early Literacy at Home and at School Gary Eldon Bingham, Byran Korth, and Esther Marshall Chapter 11. Enriching Language and Literacy: Integrating Visual Arts, Music, Dance, and Drama Sharon Black Chapter 12. Assessing Students' Needs and Progress: Use of Data to Adjust Instruction Barbara Culatta and Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon Chapter 13. Learning and Improving Together: Collaborative Professional Development John Wilkinson and Barbara Culatta Chapter 14. Applying Systematic and Engaging Practices: Planning Units and Lesson Activities Kendra M. Hall-Kenyon and Barbara Culatta