About the Book
Now in a revised and updated second edition, this practical resource and widely used text presents a wealth of research-based approaches to comprehension instruction. The authors offer specific classroom practices that help K-9 students compare and evaluate print and online sources, develop vocabulary, build study and test-taking skills, and become motivated readers. The second edition reflects new research on informational literacy and academic and content-specific vocabulary development, and also discusses the impact of recent federal initiatives. Newly updated sample activities, classroom- and text-based examples, resource lists, and reproducible classroom tools enhance the utility of this indispensable work.
Table of Contents:
Learning about Comprehension from Good Readers. A Closer Look at Comprehension: Context, Processes, Strategies, and Instruction. Creating an Effective Classroom for Comprehension Instruction. Finding a Starting Point: Ways to Assess Comprehension. Strategies for Reading for Information. Strategies for Reading Fiction. Strategies for Vocabulary Development. Strategies for Engaging in Research. Strategies for Performing Tasks, Studying, and Taking Tests. Strategies That Encourage Lifelong Reading.
About the Author :
Camille Blachowicz, PhD, is Professor of Education at National-Louis University, where she also directs the Reading Specialist program and the Reading Center. She is the author of several books and numerous chapters and articles on vocabulary and comprehension instruction and working with at-risk readers. Dr. Blachowicz is codirector of the Advanced Reading Development Demonstration Project in the Chicago Public Schools. She has been named to the roster of Outstanding Teacher Educators in Reading by the International Reading Association.
Donna Ogle, PhD, is Professor of Education at National-Louis University. She is the author of many publications related to comprehension development, and has particular interest in informational reading and learning. Dr. Ogle is currently director of two multi-school projects in the Chicago Public Schools: Project ALL (Advancing Literacy for Learning) and the Transitional Adolescent Literacy Leadership (TALL) Project. She is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame and a past president of the International Reading Association.
Review :
'For those of us calling for more serious attention to comprehension, especially in the early years of schooling, this book is most welcome. Blachowicz and Ogle have compiled an expansive array of strategies for building comprehension and situates them in an overall literacy program. Their recommendations are grounded in both what good readers do when they read and what good teachers do when they teach. They include numerous examples and artifacts from actual classrooms, as well as frames and formats for use in one's own teaching. This book could be used in field-based teacher study groups, preservice and inservice teacher education, or by individual teachers and teacher educators. After the first two chapters, which frame the book, readers can choose what they read, how, and in what order. The chapter on comprehension assessment will be especially appreciated by all!' - Nell K. Duke, EdD, Michigan State University, USA
'This lively, readable book presents a detailed model of comprehension that provides the basis for a systematic discussion of varied aspects of reading instruction. The authors' major goal is clear: to help teachers develop active, motivated, and skilful readers who will successfully meet the challenges of the 21st century. Detailed descriptions of research-based strategies, sample classroom materials, and vignettes about engaged readers make this an important new text for both beginning and experienced teachers.' - Patricia S. Koskinen, PhD, University of Maryland
'Teaching children to comprehend text is our greatest literacy challenge. This book addresses the issues of producing constructive, strategic, and motivated readers. The many practical models and teaching illustrations interspersed throughout the book add immeasurably to its overall effectiveness.' - W. Dorsey Hammond, PhD, Oakland University
'For those of us calling for more serious attention to comprehension, especially in the early years of schooling, this book is most welcome. Blachowicz and Ogle have compiled an expansive array of strategies for building comprehension and situates them in an overall literacy program. Their recommendations are grounded in both what good readers do when they read and what good teachers do when they teach. They include numerous examples and artifacts from actual classrooms, as well as frames and formats for use in one's own teaching. This book could be used in field-based teacher study groups, preservice and inservice teacher education, or by individual teachers and teacher educators. After the first two chapters, which frame the book, readers can choose what they read, how, and in what order. The chapter on comprehension assessment will be especially appreciated by all!' - Nell K. Duke, EdD, Michigan State University, USA
'This lively, readable book presents a detailed model of comprehension that provides the basis for a systematic discussion of varied aspects of reading instruction. The authors' major goal is clear: to help teachers develop active, motivated, and skilful readers who will successfully meet the challenges of the 21st century. Detailed descriptions of research-based strategies, sample classroom materials, and vignettes about engaged readers make this an important new text for both beginning and experienced teachers.' - Patricia S. Koskinen, PhD, University of Maryland
'Teaching children to comprehend text is our greatest literacy challenge. This book addresses the issues of producing constructive, strategic, and motivated readers. The many practical models and teaching illustrations interspersed throughout the book add immeasurably to its overall effectiveness.' - W. Dorsey Hammond, PhD, Oakland University
