In 1996, Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas presented Guided Reading, the most comprehensive guided reading resource ever published. Hailed for its practical, systematic approach, the book showed hundreds of thousands of teachers how to address the needs of the whole classroom as well as individual readers. Now, with the publication of Word Matters, Pinnell and Fountas offer K-3 teachers the same unparalleled support, this time focusing on phonics and spelling instruction.
Word Matters presents essential information on designing and implementing a high-quality, systematic literacy program to help children learn about letters, sounds, and words. The central goal is to teach children to become 'word solvers': readers who can take words apart while reading for meaning, and writers who can construct words while writing to communicate. Where similar books are narrow in focus, Word Matters presents the theoretical underpinnings and practical wherewithal of word study in three contexts:
word study that includes systematically planned and applied experiences focusing on the elements of letters and words
writing, including how children use phoneme-grapheme relationships, word patterns, and principles to develop spelling ability
reading, including teaching children how to solve words with the use of phonics and visual-analysis skills as they read for meaning.
Each topic is supported with a variety of practical tools: reproducible sheets for a word study system and for writing workshop; lists of spelling minilessons; and extensive word lists, including frequently used words, antonyms, synonyms, and more. Armed with these tools - and the tried-and-true wisdom of Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas - teachers can help students develop not just the 'essential skills,' but also a joyful appreciation of their own literacy.
Author Biography:
Irene C. Fountas is the Marie M. Clay Endowed Chair for Early Literacy and Reading Recovery at Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and director of the Center for Reading Recovery and Literacy Collaborative in the Graduate School of Education. She has been a classroom teacher, language arts specialist, and consultant in school districts across the nation and abroad. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association's Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, and the Greater Boston Council and the International Reading Association's Celebrate Literacy Award. Currently, she works with administrators, coaches and teacher leaders in systemic school improvement. Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK - 6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom(tm)), an intervention system for grades K - 12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K - 8 and Sistema de evaluacion de la lectura for grades K - 3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as: - The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020) - The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K - 6 (2017, 2019, 2020) - Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019) - Reader's Notebooks - Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019) - The Literacy Quick Guide (2018) - Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK - 2 (2018) - The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017) - Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en espanol, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017) - Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017) - Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections - LLI Choice Libraries - Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps - Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012) - Literacy Beginnings (2011) - Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008) - Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011) - When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009) - Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K - 8 (2006) - www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com - Leveled Books, K - 8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) - Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) - Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) - Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K - 2 (2000) - Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) - Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community. Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Community to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Learning Facebook Group.
Gay Su Pinnell is Professor Emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University and a member of the Reading Hall of Fame. She has extensive experience in classroom teaching, field-based research, and in developing comprehensive literacy systems. She is the recipient of the International Literacy Association's Diane Lapp & James Flood Professional Collaborator Award, The Ohio State University Alumni Association's Medalist Award, the International Reading Association's Albert J. Harris Award for research in reading difficulties, the Ohio Governor's Award, the Charles A. Dana Foundation Award, The Eastern New Mexico University Hall of Honor, and a 2018 recipient of an honorary doctorate Lesley University for her contributions to literacy education. Fountas and Pinnell's transformative, collective and comprehensive literacy work includes a cohesive classroom literacy system for grades PreK - 6 (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom(tm)), an intervention system for grades K - 12 (Leveled Literacy Intervention), an assessment system (Benchmark Assessment System for grades K - 8 and Sistema de evaluacion de la lectura for grades K - 3), an extensive professional book base, and professional learning opportunities. Fountas and Pinnell continue to influence and inspire educators nationwide and abroad with resources and books such as: - The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Systems (2017, 2019, 2020) - The Reading Minilessons Books, Grades K - 6 (2017, 2019, 2020) - Spanish Reader's Notebooks (2019) - Reader's Notebooks - Sing a Song of Poetry (2018, 2019) - The Literacy Quick Guide (2018) - Words That Sing: Poetry Charts, Grades PreK - 2 (2018) - The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum (2017) - Continuo de la lectoescritura, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - Continuo de la lectoescritura totalmente en espanol, Grados PreK - 8 (2020) - The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide (2017) - Guided Reading: Responsive Teaching Across the Grades, Second Edition (2017) - Fountas & Pinnell SELECT Collections - LLI Choice Libraries - Fountas & Pinnell Reading Record Apps - Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Quick Guide, A Companion to Genre Study: Teaching with Fiction and Nonfiction Books (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Fiction (2012) - Genre Prompting Guide for Nonfiction, Poetry, and Test Taking (2012) - Literacy Beginnings (2011) - Prompting Guide, Part 1 for Oral Reading and Early Writing (2008) - Prompting Guide, Part 2 for Comprehension: Thinking, Talking, Writing (2011) - When Readers Struggle: Teaching That Works (2009) - Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency: Thinking, Talking, and Writing About Reading, K - 8 (2006) - www.FountasandPinnellLeveledBooks.com - Leveled Books, K - 8: Matching Texts to Readers for Effective Teaching (2005) - Guided Reading: Good First Teaching for All Children (1996) - Guiding Readers and Writers: Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy (2001) - Interactive Writing: How Language & Literacy Come Together, K - 2 (2000) - Word Matters: Teaching Phonics and Spelling in the Reading/Writing Classroom (1998) - Help America Read and Coordinator's Guide (1997) While all the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) books, resources, and systems are deeply rooted in teacher professional learning, Irene and Gay, in collaboration with Heinemann Professional Development, offer a range of options and opportunities for professional learning designed to further develop the craft of teaching and foster a climate of collegiality and community. Join the Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Community to connect with Gay and Irene and thousands of educators from around the world on one of the fastest-growing online literacy communities. Continue the conversation on Twitter @FountasPinnell, on Instagram @FountasPinnell, on Facebook @FountasandPinnell or by joining The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy(tm) Learning Facebook Group.
