For children from low-resource backgrounds, a literacy-rich preschool experience with a skilled and engaged teacher can offset risk factors and lay the groundwork for lifelong academic success. Now schools can ensure effective early literacy instruction with this field-tested, research-based curriculum for children 3 to 5 years of age. These 41 one-week lessons are each built around a theme with associated vocabulary lists and fun activities, and can assist teachers need to enhance children's phonemic awareness and vocabulary development throughout the year. The curriculum: (1) Helps teachers succeed by explicitly showing them how to deliver curriculum content effectively; (2) Engages children through structured and unstructured activities--including dramatic play, art, and music--that reinforce new words and concepts; (3) Specifically addresses the needs of children from low-resource backgrounds and helps them catch up with their peers; and (4) Aligns with the Head Start Outcomes framework, so teachers know their curriculum is addressing the right areas; (5) Is easy to use with existing programs and makes use of inexpensive supplies most teachers already have on hand; and (6) Helps parents continue the learning at home with reader-friendly sheets that explain what their children are learning and include easy activities for encouraging literacy development. For each of the one-week lessons, teachers will get: (1) A general lesson plan for the entire week; (2) An overview of language concepts and goals and (3) Detailed lesson plans for each weekday. "From-the-trenches" vignettes share other teachers' success stories, and the observation forms help teachers track the growth and variety of children's vocabulary and confirm that students are making progress. Following authors' information, preface and acknowledgments, the book is divided into three sections. Section I contains four chapters: (1) Introduction to the "Building Language" Curriculum; (2) Using the "Building Language" Curriculum; (3) The Role of Parents in the "Building Language" Curriculum and (4) Monitoring Progress. Section II, Lessons and Take-Homes includes week-by-week lessons: (1) Week 1: School Days; (2) Week 2: Family; (3) Week 3: Alphabet; (4) Week 4: Personal Places; (5) Week 5: Seasons; (6) Week 6: Food; (7) Week 7: Animals; (8) Week 8: Fall; (9) Week 9: Community Helpers; (10) Week 10: Colors, Shapes, and Sizes; (11) Week 11: The Great Outdoors; (12) Week 12: Thanksgiving; (13) Week 13: Winter Wonderland; (14) Week 14: Our Senses; (15) Week 15: Movement and Music; (16) Week 16: Transportation in My Neighborhood; (17) Week 17: Our Bodies, Ourselves; (18) Week 18: Numbers and Counting; (19) Week 19: Fables and Fairy Tales; (20) Week 20: Solar System; (21) Week 21: Black History; (22) Week 22: Shopping; (23) Week 23: Weather; (24) Week 24: Feelings and Emotions; (25) Week 25: What Lives Under the Water?; (26) Week 26: Beauty of Spring; (27) Week 27: Science; (28) Week 28: Dinosaurs; (29) Week 29: Young Child's Arts and Crafts; (30) Week 30: Water Fun; (31) Week 31: Transportation for Traveling; (32) Week 32: Plants and Flowers; (33) Week 33: Nursery Rhymes; (34) Week 34: Mama and Me; (35) Week 35: Later in the Spring; (36) Week 36: Health and Safety; (27) Week 37: Animals and the Environment; (28) Week 38: Insects and Spiders; (39) Week 39: Daddy and Me; (40) Week 40: Vacation and Summer Fun and (41) Week 41: Get Ready, Get Set, Go. Section III concludes the book with: (1) Outcomes Assessment for the "Building Language" Curriculum; (2) Instructions for Using the "Building Language" Curriculum Forms; (3) Blank Forms for the "Building Language" Curriculum and (4) Books and Music for the "Building Language" Curriculum. References, suggested readings and an index are included.