Before Words

Judith T. Lysaker is an associate professor of literacy and language at Purdue University.

"In the midst of high-stakes testing and the increase in state and national identification of readers as being delayed as early as kindergarten, this is a welcome text. Lysaker reminds us all that above all else, reading is meant to be an intimate and enjoyable experience. She teaches us to view children’s’ literacy development from a strengths-based approach and encourages instruction to mimic the experience some young children have in the laps of their caregivers: an interactive, dialogic, and relationship-building experience."—Teachers College Record