So Much More than the ABCs

Molly F. Collins, EdD (Boston University), associate professor of the practice of literacy in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College, has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in cognitive development, language acquisition, linguistics, and storybook reading. She has also provided multiyear professional learning experiences on language and literacy for preschool teachers in national and international settings. Previously, she taught toddlers and preschoolers.Collins directed early literacy and professional educator projects funded by the US Department of Education, foundations, and universities, and she served as principal investigator for foundation- and university-sponsored grants to explore monolingual and multilingual children’s vocabulary learning and comprehension from story reading. She is a member of the American Educational Research Association, the Literacy Research Association, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Society for Research in Child Development, and she serves as part of the National Early Education Council at Jumpstart.Judith A. Schickedanz, PhD (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), professor emerita at Boston University, taught courses in child development, early literacy, and curriculum and instruction; served as director of the laboratory preschool; coordinated the early childhood program; and helped launch the Jumpstart volunteer program. She taught preschool and has worked extensively with early childhood teachers on funded projects, including Early Reading First.Schickedanz has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and books, including Understanding Children and Adolescents (Allyn & Bacon, 2000); Increasing the Power of Instruction (NAEYC, 2008); Writing in Preschool (International Reading Association, 2009); Inside Preschool Classrooms (Harvard Education Press, 2018); and What Are Preschoolers Thinking? (Harvard Education Press, 2022). She lives with her husband, David, in Southern California near their son’s family and enjoys their two grandchildren, a 10-year-old and a 3-year-old.

This book is a masterpiece in early literacy. It eloquently captures the essence of a crucial resource for early childhood educators and families, highlighting its comprehensive approach to fostering both the foundational skills and the intrinsic motivation necessary for lifelong literacy learning. This book plays a pivotal role in guiding educators to support young children’s language and literacy with a holistic approach.—Myae Han, Professor, University of DelawareThe revised edition of So Much More than the ABCs is a must-read for practicing and prospective teachers, literacy coaches, higher education faculty, and parents who strive to support early literacy development long before formal school instruction begins. Not only does it provide a comprehensive review of what to do and how but also why it should be done. In an accessible and thoughtful fashion, the authors use the research and updated evidence underlying effective strategies and practices to lay the foundation for learning to read and write. Truly this indispensable reference should be on every early childhood practitioner’s bookshelf!—Catherine Marchant, Early Childhood Instructional Coach and Former Faculty Member, Wheelock CollegeThis well-informed author team has orchestrated a stunning and useful wedding of deep knowledge about early language and literacy development with a rich vision of the sciences of reading and learning. Perfect pairing! Enjoy! Learn!—P. David Pearson, Evelyn Lois Corey Emeritus Professor of Instructional Science,Berkeley School of Education, University of California, BerkeleyThere are very few books that can draw from solid research, link it to understandable child development theory, and then clearly explain early language and literacy strategies for teachers to bring to their daily classroom practice. This book does all of that. It is essential for anyone in early childhood education.—Sue Reed, Retired Early Childhood Specialist, Maine Department of Education,and Former Director of Early Reading First, University of Southern Maine

• About the AuthorsAbout the ContributorsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: A Time to BeginPart One: Building a Foundation for ReadingChapter 1: What’s Involved in Learning to Read?Chapter 2: The Beginning—Reading with Infants and ToddlersChristina M. Cassano and Jessica L. HoffmanChapter 3: Reading Storybooks with PreschoolersChapter 4: Sharing Informational Books with PreschoolersChapter 5: Young Children and Literacy Skills DevelopmentPart Two: Building a Foundation for WritingChapter 6: What's Involved in Writing?Chapter 7: Infants and Toddlers Leave Their MarkChapter 8: Writing During the Preschool YearsList of Children's Literature CitedReferencesIndex