Early Literacy Matters

Early Literacy Matters is an innovative action guide for elementary school leaders and instructional coaches dedicated to accelerating literacy performance in the early grades, when prevention of reading difficulties matters most. As a unique father-daughter team with combined expertise in literacy education and instructional leadership, the authors share best practices for literacy success. Readers will learn how to…establish and lead a literacy team,implement embedded professional development,utilize key assessments to frame daily instruction, and illustrate specific organizational and scheduling models needed to support systemic change based on the science of reading. Each chapter features reflection questions and explicit strategies and tools leaders can implement immediately in today’s classrooms.

"Early Literacy Matters is a practical guide for school leaders who want purposeful systemic change. Teachers can’t do it alone; it takes inspiration, innovation, interaction, and best-practice literacy instruction. In fact, the authors have inspired me to create an innovative system of instructional delivery in my own school which has led to high performance."—Joan Gordon, Principal, East Union Elementary, Afton, IA"For a number of years—too many—we were seeing students who were reaching grade 3 unable to catch up to their peers in reading. That was because there were not enough of the right strategies in place in the early grades. But with the changes that were made in grades K-2, thanks to the strategies outlined in this book, most of the students were reading at or above grade level by the time they were in third grade, which is all-important to their overall academic success."—Pam Vogel, Former Superintendent, East Union School District, Afton, Iowa

Carol E. Canady, Ph.D. is a Pre-K–5 literacy coordinator and a literacy consultant for various school districts. She has served as a K–8 teacher and counselor and has taught literacy courses as an Assistant Professor at Miami University and as an instructor at Wright State and Cincinnati Christian Universities. She received her Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia, and has received distinguished recognition for teaching and community service, including recent demonstration of high leverage teaching practices in a national video series. Among other publications, Early Literacy Matters is the second book she has co-authored.Robert Lynn Canady, Ed.D. is Professor Emeritus and former chair of the Department of Leadership, Foundations and Policy Studies at the University of Virginia, and a national consultant on innovative scheduling and grading practices. He has served as principal of elementary, middle, and junior high schools, and held leadership positions in two school district central offices. He has received numerous awards for outstanding teaching and service and is co-author of four bestselling books, including Elementary School Scheduling: Enhancing instruction for School achievement with Michael D. Rettig, School Scheduling Associates, Inc.