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Key Words

Reclaiming Children’s Precious Vocabulary

Cory Gann

Key Words: Reclaiming Children’s Precious Vocabulary is about early and emergent literacy— it promotes the concept that each child possesses a key vocabulary of words that are special and magical. These words conjure emotions that can lead them into the enterprise of reading. Words such as mom or love or a sister’s name, a friend, or a beloved game – these expressions are read by the young child even before they have commenced formal decoding. They are sight words – but of a special kind, because they evoke an emotional response. They are called “key” and each child might well produce her or his own key ring of thirty or forty words. They become the stuff of writing, the personal and the meaningful, in accordance with all of the honored theory about nurturing young writers.
This book is full of classroom stories that elaborate the process of a key word approach. The stories are humorous, engaging and inspiring. They are accompanied by specific, detailed guidelines for instituting a key word program in any early childhood classroom. Special attention is paid to students’ progression into writing curriculum as an outgrowth of doing words. The context of culturally relevant, equity and anti-bias education is established throughout every chapter.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 164 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4758-3827-5 • Hardback • March 2018 • $73.00 • (£56.00)

978-1-4758-3828-2 • Paperback • March 2018 • $36.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4758-3829-9 • eBook • March 2018 • $34.00 • (£25.00)

Subjects: Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading & Phonics, Education / Elementary / Reading and Phonics, Education / Elementary / Language Arts

Key Words

Reclaiming Children’s Precious Vocabulary

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Key Words: Reclaiming Children’s Precious Vocabulary is about early and emergent literacy— it promotes the concept that each child possesses a key vocabulary of words that are special and magical. These words conjure emotions that can lead them into the enterprise of reading. Words such as mom or love or a sister’s name, a friend, or a beloved game – these expressions are read by the young child even before they have commenced formal decoding. They are sight words – but of a special kind, because they evoke an emotional response. They are called “key” and each child might well produce her or his own key ring of thirty or forty words. They become the stuff of writing, the personal and the meaningful, in accordance with all of the honored theory about nurturing young writers.
This book is full of classroom stories that elaborate the process of a key word approach. The stories are humorous, engaging and inspiring. They are accompanied by specific, detailed guidelines for instituting a key word program in any early childhood classroom. Special attention is paid to students’ progression into writing curriculum as an outgrowth of doing words. The context of culturally relevant, equity and anti-bias education is established throughout every chapter.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 164 • Trim: 6¼ x 9½

978-1-4758-3827-5 • Hardback • March 2018 • $73.00 • (£56.00)

978-1-4758-3828-2 • Paperback • March 2018 • $36.00 • (£30.00)

978-1-4758-3829-9 • eBook • March 2018 • $34.00 • (£25.00)

Subjects: Education / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading & Phonics, Education / Elementary / Reading and Phonics, Education / Elementary / Language Arts

Author

Cory Gann is professor emeritus at Central Washington University with a specialization in Early Childhood Education. He is board member of the Praxis Institute for Early Childhood Education, dedicated to building equitable learning environments for young children and their families.

Table of Contents

ForewordPrefaceAcknowledgementsChapter 1: Unlocking the Key Word ApproachChapter 2: Roots and History Chapter 3: The SystemChapter 4: Key Words: A Natural FitChapter 5: Cultural Excavation
Chapter 6: Movements: Bounding into Writing
Chapter 7: Key Words and Whimsy
Chapter 8: Books: Authored and Produced in the Classroom
Bibliography
About the Author

Reviews

Teachers will find that the Key Words Approach has a wide application in a variety of ECE classrooms: from preschool to primary grades; to a group of students from English language background to a group from diverse language backgrounds, even to a classroom where the instruction language is other than English. The seed of literacy is in each student, and it can grow from every student.
— Wei Li-Chen, early childhood education consultant, cultural boarder-crosser

Key Words is a timeless approach to reach children in our schools where they are and bring them forward into the world of literacy. Reading is about meaning, and what could be more direct and simple than starting with what students know - their vocabulary?
Dr. Gann has given the veteran and new teacher access to a reading strategy that can be absorbed into reading programs to enhance the engagement of every child. Its approach to reaching all children is so important in an urban school district. As a principal, I appreciate the ease of use as I am sure teachers in busy classrooms will as well.
— Joanne Bowers, M.Ed, principal, Green Lake Elementary, Seattle School District

Dr. Gann has maintained his commitment to authentic and vulnerable dialogue in his book “Key Words”. I am so impressed by Dr. Gann’s thoughtfulness on his own learning journey, which he exhibits in his explanation for why young people, particularly in disenfranchised communities deserve and benefit greatly from instructional practices that are the norm in more affluent communities. This text will push needed conversations forward on how to most effectively instruct young people in communities where we tend to focus on deficits as opposed to assets.
— Erin Jones, independent education and systems consultant

Key Words

Reclaiming Children’s Precious Vocabulary

Cory Gann

Key Words

Reclaiming Children’s Precious Vocabulary

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