Part I of a three-part series, this article describes Systematic and Engaging Early Literacy Instruction (SEEL), a program designed to engage and motivate children as they learn early literacy skills. The project, implemented in Spanish as part of a dual-language program, used a variety of interactive literacy activities and tailor-made texts to expose children to target phonic patterns. The teacher and trained assistants provided practice with reading and writing the target literacy patterns using customized texts associated with read-alouds, story enactments, play routines, and “make and do” activities. This article provides the project's rationale; describes the texts, activities, and contexts; and explains how the program was implemented in a dual-language (Spanish—English) kindergarten.
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