Category: Reading

Independent Reading Can Boost Learning

Students benefit from reading independently if specific conditions are in place. In No More Independent Reading Without Support Debbie Miller and Barbara Moss share research-based strategies to enhance classroom practice and student learning.

Focus on the Reader, Not the Complex Text

It’s hard to put down Readers Front & Center: Helping All Students Engage with Complex Texts, says our reviewer. Dorothy Barnhouse shows teachers how to focus on the reader, not the text, by using conferencing, questioning & other student-centered strategies.

What Happens When Kids Choose Their Own Books

In Reading Unbound, reviewer Alexa Patterson says, Jeff Wilhelm and Michael Smith share student attitudes about reading and suggest ways to add favorite genres in the classroom, boost student interest in books, and make ties to the Common Core.

Advanced Strategies Can Help Kids Become Wild Readers

Donalyn Miller’s Reading in the Wild is a great workshop-focused resource for any ELA teacher who wants to cultivate lifelong reading habits and is “looking for a viable alternative to traditional instruction,” says teacher-reviewer Tyler McBride.

Why We Need to Listen and Let Kids Read What They Want

Jeff Wilhelm & Michael W. Smith’s findings in “Reading Unbound: Why Kids Need to Read What They Want and Why We Should Let Them” should convince educators to reconsider traditional assigned reading lists and open classroom doors to genre fiction, says reviewer Anne Anderson.

Using Drama Techniques to Deepen Comprehension

In the 2nd edition of Deepening Comprehension with Action Strategies, Jeff Wilhelm offers theory-based drama techniques that can be used before, during, and after reading to deepen comprehension of fiction and nonfiction content, says reviewer Allyn Hunt.

Teaching Whole Novels for Love and Standards

In Whole Novels for the Whole Class, Ariel Sacks offers a student-centered approach that promotes love of reading and deepens discussions, says reviewer Heather Wolpert-Gawron. Sacks’ documented strategies also address Common Core standards.

Think-Aloud Strategies: New Edition of a Classic

Reviewer Linda Biondi likes everything about the new edition of Jeff Wilhelm’s popular book on improving comprehension by “thinking aloud.” Lots of examples from the classroom, a DVD with teachers using the strategies in class, and it’s CCSS-aligned.