Research shows that reading aloud each day is the "single most important activity" that parents can do with their preschoolers and early elementary children. How does a person sort through the countless stacks of mediocre books lining the shelves of libraries and bookstores to uncover the best literature to share with their little ones? And once they hold the quality book in their hand, then what? How can they take full advantage of the read-aloud experience to foster key preliteracy skills?

The ABCs of Literacy: Preparing Our Children for Lifelong Learning answers all these questions and many more. Cynthia Dollins provides parents with in-depth information regarding research on the value of reading aloud, how to select great literature, and how to use this literature as a springboard to build phonemic awareness, phonics skills, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing skills. Parents who are looking to give every possible advantage to their children are shown how to give them a true head start in reading that translates to a head start in school and in life.

The ABCs of Literacy balances theory and practice to help parents engage their young children in literacy development. In includes summaries of 300 or more titles of age-appropriate quality literature for children, providing clear and specific criteria to help parents independently select the best books to read to their children. Also included are engaging ways to utilize art, cooking, writing, and drama to extend the read-aloud experience in order to foster their children's greater understanding of what they read.