Language and Literacy Beyond Decoding

Rebecca D. Silverman, EdD, is the Judy Koch Professor of Education in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. A former elementary school teacher, Dr. Silverman’s research focuses on language and literacy development and instruction in early childhood and elementary school. In particular, her work has contributed to the research base on supporting vocabulary and other aspects of language that are critical to reading and writing, and using multimedia and educational technology to facilitate literacy. At Stanford, Dr. Silverman leads the Language to Literacy Lab and teaches in the Stanford Teacher Education Program. She also engages in research–practice partnerships with school districts and provides professional development to teachers. Widely published in education journals, she has served on the board of directors of the International Literacy Association and is Editor-in-Chief of Elementary School Journal. Her website is https://langlitlab.stanford.edu.Kristin Keane, PhD, directs and manages partnerships in a number of research studies in the Language to Literacy Lab in the Graduate School of Education at Stanford University. Her research focuses on literacy development and instruction in elementary schools, specifically the ways multimodal, digital, and critical literacies can be used to drive equity-centered pedagogies in classrooms to enhance engagement, comprehension, and dialogic discussion of varied types of text. Prior to her work at Stanford, Dr. Keane led a network of literacy coaches, served as a literacy staff developer, and worked in California classrooms. She has taught in both the University of San Francisco’s and Stanford's teacher education programs. A mixed methodologist, Dr. Keane has published a number of observational and meta-analytic studies pertaining to literacy practice and development in leading education journals.

“Every day, educators encounter many students who can sound out individual words on the page but struggle to comprehend the text they are reading. This timely, approachable volume brings together an extraordinary group of reading experts to share proven principles and techniques for teaching language comprehension. Topics range from promoting content-rich language instruction, to leveraging better assessments and new technologies, to integrating linguistic diversity as a central feature--not a special case--in today’s classrooms. This book addresses all of the elements most essential to improving our students’ literacy performance and life outcomes.”--Michael Kieffer, EdD, Department of Teaching and Learning, New York University“Providing a vital corrective to foundational skills mandates, this volume addresses the importance of rich language development occurring alongside--not after--phonics instruction. Contributors address the complex needs of diverse learners, including multilingual students and speakers of African American English, through culturally responsive approaches that honor students' linguistic assets while building academic success. Teachers, coaches, and teacher educators will find research-proven strategies and concrete solutions for fostering language's critical role in reading comprehension.”--Elfrieda H. Hiebert, PhD, President and CEO, TextProject-