The second volume of this comprehensive handbook addresses such topics as the transition to school, the teacher-child relationship, vocabulary development, neuroimaging work, Vygotskian theory, findings from international studies, and more.

Important discoveries in research increasingly highlight the role of early literacy in young children's development - and facilitate the growth of practices and policies that promote success among diverse learners. The Handbook of Early Literacy Research presents cutting-edge knowledge on all aspects of literacy learning in the preschool years. Volume 2 provides additional perspectives on important topics covered in Volume 1 and addresses critical new topics: the transition to school, the teacher-child relationship, sociodramatic play, vocabulary development, neural imaging work, Vygotskian theory, findings from international studies, and more.

Review
'Amidst a sea of political controversy surrounding early reading instruction, this book offers the most up-to-date and definitive research perspectives available today. While dealing fully and well with the importance of phonemic awareness and decoding, it places reading within the wider context of language development and child development. I particularly applaud the stress on children, rich and poor, learning to read in such a way that they don't just pass reading tests, but are successful learners in the content areas throughout their school years. This book is essential reading, cover to cover, for anyone interested in reading and literacy.' - James Paul Gee, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Wisconsin-Madison 'This extraordinarily valuable resource brings together the work of knowledgeable and credible scholars in a variety of areas related to early literacy research. Writing in a manner that is accessible to both researchers and practitioners, the contributors go beyond updating us on the vast amount of accumulated knowledge on emerging and early literacy. They help us make sense of its applications to our work with young children and those who care for and teach them.' - Dorothy S. Strickland, PhD, Department of Learning and Teaching, Graduate School of Education, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

David K. Dickinson, EdD, is a professor at the Peabody School of Education, Vanderbilt University. He received his doctoral training at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education after teaching elementary school in the Philadelphia area for 5 years. Since the early 1980s he has studied language and early literacy development among low-income populations, with a focus on the role of oral language in literacy development. Dr. Dickinson has examined the interrelationships among language, print skills, and phonemic awareness and has conducted detailed studies of language use patterns in early childhood classrooms. He helped create tools for describing literacy support in preschool classrooms, and developed and studied approaches to providing professional development for preschool teachers. Widely published, Dr. Dickinson has served on numerous advisory boards and recently was on a commission assisting the National Association for the Education of Young Children with revising its accreditation standards.
Susan B. Neuman, EdD, a professor in educational studies specializing in early literacy development, returned to the University of Michigan in 2004 after a 2-year hiatus, during which she served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education. Her research and teaching interests include early childhood policy, curriculum, and early reading instruction. In her role as Assistant Secretary, she established the Reading First program and the Early Reading First program, and was responsible for all activities in Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Dr. Neuman recently received an honorary doctorate from the California State University-Hayward, where she also conducted her master's work in reading and curriculum. Widely published, she received her doctorate from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California.