Becoming literate in the inner city : the Baltimore early childhood project

This book reports the results of a five-year longitudinal study of children's early literacy development. The children attended pre-kindergarten in Baltimore public schools at the study's inception and completed third grade at its end. Tracing these children's developing literacy competencies over the years, the study makes an important contribution to understanding how best to facilitate literacy attainment for children of diverse backgrounds. Literacy is one of the most highly valued cultural resources of contemporary American society, yet far too many children in the nation's cities leave school without becoming sufficiently literate. This book reports the results of a five-year longitudinal study in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, tracing literacy development from pre-kindergarten through third-grade for a sample of children from low and middle income families of European and African heritage. The authors examined the intimate culture of each child's home, defined by a confluence of parental beliefs, recurrent activities, and interactive processes, in relation to children's literacy competencies. Also examined were teacher beliefs and practices, and connections between home and school. With its broad-based consideration of the contexts of early literacy development, the book makes an important contribution to understanding how best to facilitate attainment of literacy for children from diverse backgrounds. "This book reports the results of a 5-year longitudinal study in the city of Baltimore, Maryland, tracing literacy development from prekindergarten through third grade for a sample of children from low- and middle-income families of European and African heritage. The authors examined the intimate culture of each child's home, defined by a confluence of parental beliefs, recurrent activities, and interactive processes, in relation to children's literacy competencies. Also examined were teacher beliefs and practices, and connections between home and school This book reports the results of a five-year longitudinal study of children's early literacy development based on a culturally diverse group of children and their families. The book describes children's home and school experiences related to literacy development, and it traces children's developing literacy competencies over the years With its broad-based consideration of the contexts of early literacy development, the book makes an important contribution to understanding how best to facilitate attainment of literacy for children from diverse backgrounds."--Jacket Becoming literate involves the gradual assumption of ownership of a system of meanings that enables people to communicate through written texts. Robert Serpell, Linda Baker, And Susan Sonnenschein. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.