Check it Out: Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

For many the school year has come to a close or is quite close insha'Allaah. Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas, is a book that those who teach in a traditional school setting or homeschool setting may find immensely beneficial and may wish to add to their summer reading list in preparation for the new school year insha'Allaah.

The book very helpfully provides sample schedules for a preschool day, lesson plans for various literacy strands in the curriculum and even a preschool continuum for teachers and parent-teachers to benefit from. Also included in the book are developmental charts for three and four year old children that aide in planning lessons that are developmentally appropriate. The appendices are a treasure trove for preschool teachers and while not all of the information is Islaamically appropriate, you will find much that sets you on your way to efficient, relevant lesson planning insha'Allaah. The full-colour photographs of preschool classrooms that effectively support preschool learning are also a wonderful resources to assist you when planning how to arrange your own classroom.

More than that, the authors offer practical ways for teachers to support emerging readers and writers, and provide concrete examples alongside the activity recommendations. Assessment of Literacy Learning is also included. Sound, easy to implement tools for assessing students literacy progress appear throughout the book.

While you may not be able to locate this book in your local library, it is an investment you or your school may wish to consider as its contents may assist the preschool teacher in charting a path that will help him/her design a fun, engaging learning community that supports the literacy development for his/her incoming students for the new school year...waallaaahu a'lam.