Chapter 10: Five Research-Based Strategies for Early Elementary School Literacy Success

Nothing is more important than getting students off on the right path for literacy success. Getting the right start impacts academic achievement for all students throughout their entire academic career. This chapter guides principals in strategically putting students on the path to literacy success right from the start. No matter whether your school is high performing or struggling to improve, this chapter will help you by highlighting five evidence-based strategies to ensure greater literary success (consequently, higher test scores) for all students:

Literacy success in every school or district begins in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Grade 1 with first good teaching. Monitoring each student's progress and providing early intervention is essential and should accompany regular classroom instruction. The research is unequivocal: early literacy achievement is predictive of later school success and long-term benefits (Shanahan, 2015; Smart, Prior, Sansor, & Oberkind, 2005; Snow, Tabors, & Dickinson, 2001).