The text introduces teacher candidates to the notion that reading is a complex, multi-layered process that begins early in a child’s life.  Reading by all accounts, is more than decoding symbols on a page. While this is one component of the reading process, it is important for teacher candidates to see a broader more complete picture of reading. Given the role that reading plays in the elementary school curriculum, it is imperative that teachers have a well-developed understanding of the reading process and what it means to be a teacher of readers.

 Literate Lives: Teaching Reading and Writing in the Elementary Classroom covers the major theories and application strategies of the reading process as well as current debates in the field using a unique framework that builds upon the following themes:

• believing that literacy is based in social, cultural, and historical contexts
• assuming an inquiry stance - being ‘problem posers’ and wondering ‘why’
• using “kidwatching” (Goodman, 1985) as an assessment tool to make informed instructional decisions
• recognizing and using the multiple literacies that children bring to the classroom
• lingering and reflecting on one’s decisions in light of what one knows and believes.