Speech to Print Language Essentials for Teachers 3rd Edition by Louisa Cook Moats (2020)

Speech to Print: Language Essentials for Teachers, Third Edition (2020) by Louisa Cook Moats Ed.D., with foreword by Dr. Susan Brady Ph.D. — published by Brookes Publishing — has been a bestselling, widely adopted textbook on explicit, high-quality literacy instruction for two decades. The anticipated third edition arrives fully updated with ten years of new research, a complete package of supporting materials, and expanded guidance on the how of assessment and instruction in today's classrooms.

Filling a critical gap in teacher preparation, Speech to Print supplies K–12 educators with in-depth knowledge of the structure and function of language — the foundational linguistic content knowledge teachers need to deliver successful structured literacy instruction grounded in the science of reading. Renowned literacy expert Louisa Cook Moats gives current and future teachers comprehensive, accurate, and accessible information on the underpinnings of language instruction.

Topics covered: the history of the English language and its effect on spelling; English phonology including speech sounds and their distinctive features; phonemic awareness and the development of phonological skills; the alphabetic principle and orthographic mapping; English orthography — letter-sound correspondences, syllable types, and patterns; morphology — prefixes, suffixes, roots, and meaningful word parts; etymology and word origins; semantics and vocabulary development; syntax and sentence-level instruction; pragmatics and discourse; the connection between oral language and written language; assessment of language and literacy components; structured literacy and explicit instruction principles; instructional implications for teaching reading, spelling, vocabulary, and writing; and supporting students with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences.

Essential for: K–12 classroom teachers, especially elementary and reading specialists; teacher preparation programs; literacy coaches and reading interventionists; speech-language pathologists working in schools; special education teachers; structured literacy and Orton-Gillingham practitioners; LETRS training participants; CERI Structured Literacy/Dyslexia certification candidates; and educators pursuing science-of-reading professional development.