with little meaning is not only detrimental to an understanding
of the functions and joys of learning about print but also takes valuable
time away from activities that are more fruitful for learning. Studies (Lee &
Burkam 2002; NAEP 2004) show that without powerful intervention, children
from economically disadvantaged settings are likely to start school behind their
middle-class peers and stay behind, with the gap becoming ever larger in each
subsequent year.