The Story, Song, & Action Book is the basic handbook for Animated Literacy Instruction. The handbook includes an overview with an introduction and rationale, 91 basic lesson plans that develop phonological awareness, phonics, vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency, 91 review lessons, gestures for teaching sounds, drawing and labeling activities to accompany the introduction of sounds and letters, and word substitution activities in pattern songs that develop word recognition and fluency.
The sequence and style of instruction found in Animated Literacy is based on current brain research on attention, memory, motivation, emotion, and multisensory learning along with language research that details the sequence of stages and milestones that nearly all babies pass through when learning to speak their first or second language. Because we use the same brain structures for reading and writing that we use for listening and speaking, Animated Literacy follows the universal sequence of oral language acquisition when teaching reading and writing. This makes it possible for both fluent and limited English speaking students to be successful in the program. A natural language sequence is especially helpful for students who struggle with reading and language. The sequence of instruction found in Animated Literacy includes all of the essential elements of instruction promoted by the science of reading.
