McGee and Richgels have set the standard in this new edition by clearly and simply explaining the issues addressed in Reading First and Early Reading First legislation that affect the reading instruction of young children. Aligned with the findings of the National Reading Panel, this edition focuses on child-centered instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, decoding, comprehension, and interpretation. Without question, this text will be the most talked about resource for prospective teachers of children from birth to age eight. Following a preface, the book presents 12 chapters. Every chapter begins with "Key Concepts" and concludes with "Chapter Summary," "Applying the Information," "Going Beyond the Text," and "References." Chapters in the book include: (1) Understanding Children's Literacy Development; (2) From Birth to Three Years: The Foundations of Literacy Development; (3) From Three to Five Years: Novice Readers and Writers in the Phase of Awareness and Exploration; (4) From Five to Seven Years: Experimenting Readers and Writers; (5) From Six to Eight Years: Early, Transitional, and Self-Generative Readers and Writers; (6) Literacy-Rich Classrooms; (7) Supporting Literacy Learning in Preschool; (8) Supporting Literacy Learning in Kindergarten; (9) Supporting Literacy Learning in First Grade; (10) Supporting Literacy Learning Beyond First Grade; (11) Diverse Learners; and (12) Assessment. An appendix is concludes the book.