In this full-day kindergarten, Cindy Wilson and her bilingual aide, Ms. Li, promote oral language development and individual responsibility through reading, writing, listening, and sensory experiences. Students take leadership roles as "Room Readers and Writers," guiding classmates through daily routines and gathering useful information for the class and school community. Students share personal stories through art and writing, and read and listen to carefully chosen literature. In hands-on activities they explore holiday celebrations, including Valentine's Day and the Chinese New Year. Using thematic curriculum and integrated learning opportunities, Ms. Wilson and Ms. Li help students connect their own and each other's linguistic and cultural knowledge.

Ms. Wilson's literacy lessons demonstrate the following: Literacy Teaching Practices •  Read-Aloud •  Shared Reading •  Independent Reading and Writing Appreciation of the students' diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds Students are responsible for their classroom environment, materials, and routines Development of students' ability to use print and language in "real-world" ways Play, hands-on experience, and sensory exploration to increase conceptual and oral language development Thematic and integrated instruction to help students link what they learn with their own lives

"The most important piece in my classroom is the development of oral language. All children need the experience of having a dialogue to make sense of the world. Read-alouds, dramatic play, story telling -- hearing things orally is so important."
Cindy Wilson

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