Teaching students specific literacy skills is important--but equally critical, and often overlooked, is giving them the time and opportunity to read actual texts. Bringing together leading scholars, this book focuses on how teachers can improve both the quality and quantity of reading experiences in K-12 classrooms. Essential topics include factors that make reading tasks more or less productive for different types of learners, ways to balance independent reading with whole-class and small-group instruction, how to choose appropriate texts, and the connections between reading engagement and proficiency. The relevant research literature is reviewed, and exemplary practices and programs are described.
Table of Contents:
I. Frameworks on Reading More and Better
1. Opportunity to Read: A Critical but Neglected Construct in Reading Instruction, Elfrieda H. Hiebert and Leigh Ann Martin
2. If They Don't Read Much…30 Years Later, Richard L. Allington
3. Promoting Reasons for Reading: Teacher Practices That Impact Motivation, Angela McRae and John T. Guthrie
II. Instruction that Supports More and Better Reading
4. Increasing Opportunities to Acquire Knowledge through Reading, Gina N. Cervetti, Carolyn A. Jaynes, and Elfrieda H. Hiebert
5. Series Books, Graphic Novels, Comics, and Magazines: Unauthorized Texts, Authorized Literacy Practices, Anne McGill-Franzen and Stergios
Botzakis
6. How Much and What Are Third Graders Reading?
Reading in Core Programs, Devon Brenner, Elfrieda H. Hiebert, and Renarta Tompkins
7. Time, Engagement, and Support: Lessons from a 4-Year Fluency Intervention, Melanie R. Kuhn and Paula J. Schwanenflugel
III. Critical Factors in Supporting More and Better Reading
8. The Challenge of Advanced Texts: The Interdependence of Reading and Learning, Marilyn Jager Adams
9. Increasing Reading Opportunities for English Language Learners, Elizabeth Bernhardt
10. Text Reading and Students with Learning Disabilities, Elizabeth A. Swanson, Jade Wexler, and Sharon Vaughn
11. Text Difficulty in Reading Assessment, Barbara R. Foorman
IV. Summary
12. Creating Opportunities to Read More So That Students Read Better, Linda B. Gambrell
About the Author :
Elfrieda H. Hiebert, PhD, is CEO and President of TextProject, Inc. She has worked in the field of early reading acquisition for more than 40 years as a classroom teacher, teacher educator, and researcher. Her research, which addresses how fluency, vocabulary, and knowledge can be fostered through appropriate texts, has been published in numerous scholarly journals and books. Dr. Hiebert’s contributions to research and practice have been recognized with such honors as the Research to Practice Award from the American Educational Research Association and the Oscar S. Causey Award from the Literacy Research Association.
Review :
"Here is a truly distinctive work that breathes new life into traditional discussions of reading. The authors skillfully rely on scientific research to promote literacy instruction that is holistic, student centered, varied, relevant, and current. The book offers a mosaic of perspectives that will inform novice and experienced teachers, reading specialists, literacy coaches, and administrators about how to best meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population." - Susan V. Piazza, Assistant Professor of Literacy Studies, Western Michigan University, USA "Comprehensive and authoritative, this book includes practical recommendations, research summaries, interesting commentary, and applications for frequently underserved groups, such as students with learning disabilities and English language learners. It will be required reading for anyone interested in productive classroom-based reading experiences that are based in science." - Matthew Burns, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota; Acting Co-Director, Minnesota Center for Reading Research, USA "This book tackles essential issues about how texts are selected and used in schools. It provides a critical and in-depth examination of how texts can be used to empower students and transform how they engage with reading and learning." - Leigh A. Hall, School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, USA "This volume brings together exemplary scholars to offer the reader a comprehensive view of the correlation between opportunity to read and reading achievement. Each thought-provoking chapter includes powerful insights into providing productive reading experiences. Bridging the gap between theory, research, policy, and practice, this is a perfect choice for graduate courses or teacher study groups. Every reading professional must read this book!" - Tabatha Dobson Scharlach, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, University of Central Florida, USA
