The first smile, the first laugh, the first word are eagerly anticipated and treasured moments in a child's early life. From the moment they are born, children are ready to experiment and learn about how to communicate, whether with the cries of a hungry infant, the chuckles of a baby playing peek-a-boo, or the emphatic "No" of an independent toddler. The story continues as a child stands at the threshold of formal schooling, face to face with the challenges of school and no challenge is more daunting than learning to read and write. Parents and caregivers are critical to this process as they provide the early language experiences of listening and speaking and children develop their reading and writing abilities.In Raising Readers and Writers, the authors share their decades of experience as parents, teachers, and researchers to provide a clear overview of each developmental stage and many strategies to expand children's literacy. Children become proficient readers and writers as they interact with parents, caregivers, siblings, friends and extended members of their family. The book is filled with activities starting in infancy and continuing through the school years. Finally, the authors discuss several special topics including homework issues, standardized testing, and using the computer for personal communication, all of which overlap through many developmental stages and have an impact on children's learning.