In a world rich with language and literacy, each word matters. Words give us a way to communicate-to think, talk, read and write-and to activate and enjoy a literate life.

With this new, essential resource, Fountas and Pinnell bring their literacy expertise to a systematic exploration of letters, sounds, and words and learning how oral and written language "work."

The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guideprovides you with a comprehensive map of the knowledge students develop on their journey to becoming expert word solvers and effective readers and writers. The literacy behaviors you know and understand as you make minute-by-minute decisions within the act of teaching will make the biggest impact on student learning.

You will find that this essential guide, presented in an easy-to-use chart form, is a critical companion to The Fountas & Pinnell Literacy Continuum, Expanded Edition. You will be able to hone your observations of students' literacy behaviors with this indispensable tool, which combines the behaviors and understandings from the Phonics continuum with the specific times (early, middle, or late in grades PreK-8) appropriate for each one to be introduced and then to be under students' control. In addition, instructional language and a multitude of specific examples appear exclusively in this guide. Use this resource to guide your students in an exploration of letter and word learning.

The Fountas & Pinnell Comprehensive Phonics, Spelling, and Word Study Guide reflects the specific behaviors related to the nine areas of learning for letters, sounds, and words that children develop over time:

• Early Literacy Concepts
• Phonological Awareness
• Letter Knowledge
• Letter-Sound Relationships
• Spelling Patterns
• High-Frequency Words
• Word Meaning/Vocabulary
• Word Structure
• Word-Solving Actions