If asked when children learn to read and write, the average person would probably say, "in first grade." Although this is indeed true for most children, success in first grade relies on more than just the instruction provided then; it also depends heavily on the knowledge and skills acquired long before. In fact, the experiences that build a foundation for learning to read and write have a history stretching all the way back to infancy.Children who struggle in learning to read often enter first grade without the foundational knowledge they need. This situation is not easily overcome. Only about 25 percent of children who struggle in learning to read in first grade ever read within the typical range for their grade level! The other children in this group continue to experience major reading difficulties throughout all of their years of schooling (Juel 1988; Spira, Bracken, & Fischel 2005). Excerpted from So Much More Than the ABCs: The Early Phases of Reading and Writing by Judith A. Schickedanz, Molly F. Collins, National Association for the Education of Young Children Staff All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
