First grade is a year of important new experiences for students and teachers alike. Some students will arrive knowing how to read, others will know a few letters of the alphabet, and most will be somewhere in between. Including dozens of reproducibles, this book guides first-grade teachers in the many decisions they face about how to orchestrate effective, appropriate, and engaging instruction. A special strength of the book is the authors' deep understanding of the oral language base of literacy learning - both reading and writing - and their expertise in differentiating instruction for English language learners.