Essentials of Literacy from 0-7

′In reading this book practitioners may be able to gain a vast repertoire of activities that supports the young literate in their classroom. This practical guide demonstrates how one might go about

teaching the vital sub-skills of emergent literacy development in authentic and purposeful ways′
-Andrew Sinko, Educate

′This is more than an excellent text book for early years practitioners and students, it is a delight! Tina Bruce and Jenny Spratt have managed to combine authoritative insights about language, literacy and child development with a celebration of the rich poetic resources of the English language. The authors explain the essentials of literacy in terms of children′s earliest experiences of human relationships and communication, physical movement, symbol making and using, play, conversations, the sounds and rhythms of language and high well-being. Bruce and Spratt go on to describe a rich resource of time-honoured traditional material that is just waiting to be used in language play and experimentation and literacy learning and teaching. This celebration of action songs, finger rhymes, nursery rhymes, stories and poetry and the provision of carefully annotated photographs make this a very special book. The text empowers practitioners (and the children they nurture and teach) as it explains the complexity of literacy learning, clarifies linguistic technical jargon and emphasises the joy and creativity of good literacy learning experiences. This is a book to keep close to hand and it is the perfect antidote to the misguided notion that ′reading is simple′!′ -
Marian Whitehead

My Early Years colleague has found this book very useful with her students. -- Anne Bradley * drupal *
A richly illustrated text that links current theories of, and research into, early literacy with clear observational assessment. -- Dr Alastair Daniel * drupal *
Covers all aspects of literacy development. Useful and informative, and easy to access for undergraduate students. -- Miss Louise Kay * drupal *
A great book that has helped the students with thier childcare course Unit 35 in particular. this has been recommended to the students and to the college library. -- Miss Naomi Whale * drupal *
Chapter 5 on mark making and writing will be recommended to support a taught session on the Communication, Language and Literacy module for second year B.Ed students. The colour pictures are particularly useful as examples for students to examine. -- Mr Ian Barrett * drupal *
I have highly recommended this for my students studying in their childcare course and further teaching courses which they are hoping to continue with. -- Mrs Donna O'Connor * drupal *
We are going to use chapters from this text with our Early Years trainees in all three years. -- Mrs Elizabeth Dunn * drupal *
Very good for all practitioners. -- Mrs Emma Griffiths * drupal *
This book is a great resource to support Unit 9 - Emerging Children′s literacy and it has supported my learners′ to look wider for quotes and theory to support their coursework. -- Mrs Emma Ruth Bleasdale * drupal *
An excellent book with some really good practical ideas that learners can put into practice. This will be a useful tool for level 2 and level 3′s and back up theory sessions. Is there an equivalent for secondary age groups??? -- Mrs Gwyneth Walsham * drupal *
Lots of good ideas to support those working during the literacy session in the classroom. Easy to read and clear information given throughout. -- Mrs Gwyneth Walsham * drupal *
A lovely book which looks at literacy from a practitioner point of view. Some super ideas and easy to understand explanations of promoting literacy in the early years. Some lovely relevant images reinforce the information -- Mrs Stephanie Schofield * drupal *
A text all practitioners should read. Its core values should underpin all good primary practice. -- Mrs Susan Barrett * drupal *
Good practical ideas and resource -- Mrs Victoria Brown * drupal *
Used as a book to extend reading in literacy -- Ms Denise Kingston * drupal *
Providing excellent links between theory and practice, this book explains challenging concepts clearly, locating them in practical contexts. Its coverage is wholly appropriate for our second year ITE students. -- Ms Jane Murray * drupal *