"Getting down from the ivory tower and stepping out of the principal's office, these authors offer some of the most important and useful books about leadership that principals can buy." -Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education Boston College "Addresses some of the most important challenges facing school leaders today. The authors bring a remarkable combination of deep, practical experience and academic sophistication to these challenges." -Ken Leithwood, Professor Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto "This series of little volumes provides a valuable resource for new principals who would become accomplished instructional leaders and seasoned principals looking to strengthen their leadership capacity." -Roland S. Barth, Founding Director Harvard Principals' Center "This series allows school principals to integrate theory and practice themselves, resulting in highly insightful and practical strategies that will make a difference in schools. Practitioners: lead thyselves!" -Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto Help students take the first steps toward long-term educational success! Highlighting the importance of building children's early literacy skills, especially for those who might struggle in later grades, this volume in the Leading Student Achievement series presents an easy-to-understand overview of how three-, four-, and five-year-olds learn to read and shows school leaders how to: Utilize knowledge about early literacy to provide more effective support for teachers of young children Recognize the hallmarks of excellence in early literacy programs Work with teachers, school teams, and parents to create and improve early literacy programs Develop a school culture that sustains excellence and continuous improvement in early literacy Filled with real-life planning models, time-saving reproducibles, and other resources, The Principal as Early Literacy Leader gives school leaders the knowledge and vision to implement quality early literacy programs.
Acknowledgments Introduction 1. What Every School Leader Needs to Know About How Young Children Learn Differently Young Children Learn...Differently Play: A Window Into Children's Learning Young Children Learning Language Through Social Interaction and Intellectual Play Language: The Early Framework for Later Thinking The Intellectual Behavior of Young Children Early Literacy: It's More Than Sounds and Letters 2. What We Know Makes the Difference Transforming the Culture: The Role of the School Leader Assessing Program: One Size Does Not Fit All Recognizing Teacher Perception: Think They Will or Think They Won't, You're Right! Developing the Early Dispositions to Be Readers, Writers, and Critical Thinkers Creating the Conditions for Literacy: Six Ts for Exemplary Teaching Developing an Inclusive Literate Community: Providing One-on-one Support Through Multi-Age Buddies Strategizing for a More Flexible Curriculum Defining the Teacher's Role Developing Literate-Rich Environments at School Building Partnerships With Parents Early Identification Processes 3. Instructional Leadership: The Tools You Will Need Developing a Vision: Changing Cultures Guiding Principles Defining Literacy: Three Key Expectations Assessing Learning: What Counts as Evidence? Management by Walking Around and What to Look For Planning Models Re-Conceptualizing Traditional Unit Plans Timetables Communication With Parents 4. Continuous Improvement: The Next Steps Creating Professional Learning Conversations Setting SMART Goals Evidence-Based Decision Making Teacher's Professional Development Conclusion Glossary Tools for School Leaders Must Reads References Index
"This series of publications addresses some of the most important improvement challenges facing school leaders today. The authors of the series bring a remarkable combination of deep, practical experience and academic sophistication to these challenges. The series should be required reading for all school leaders." -- Ken Leithwood, Professor "At last, a series of outstanding books by practicing administrators, for practicing principals. Avoiding high-flown theory on the one hand and mere lists of bullet points on the other, these books represent the best that highly expert leaders have to offer-intellectually informed ideas about how to deal with the compelling practical issues of principalship. Getting down from the ivory tower and stepping out of the principal's office, these authors offer some of the most important and useful books about leadership that principals can buy." -- Andy Hargreaves, Thomas More Brennan Chair in Education "This series of little volumes offers a plethora of rich ideas ranging from practice and specific methods right down to easy-to-use worksheets. It provides a valuable resource for new principals who would become accomplished instructional leaders and also for seasoned principals looking to strengthen their leadership capacity." -- Roland S. Barth, Former Teacher and Principal "This is a great series that allows school principals to integrate theory and practice themselves, resulting in highly insightful and practical strategies that will make a difference in schools. Practitioners: lead thyselves!" -- Michael Fullan, Professor Emeritus
