Reading Essentials : The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well

A Note About Notes xv Acknowledgments xvii One The Essential Reading Life Simplify Your Teaching Life 3(8) Why Reading Essentials? 4(3) Be as Knowledgeable as You Can Be 5(1) There Is No One ``Right'' or Best Way 6(1) Question Research 6(1) Teach What's Essential to the Well-Being of the Child as a Learner and a Developing Person 7(2) What About Learners with Special Needs? 8(1) Teach to the Child, Not the Label 9(1) View Teaching as an Art Supported by Science 9(2) Bond with Your Students 11(12) How Does Bonding Work? 13(1) Work Your Magic with Students 13(4) Ensure Early Success for Every Child 14(1) Model Respect 15(1) Encourage Shared Decision Making 16(1) Bring in Stories 17(3) Tell the Stories of Your Life 17(1) Value Children's Stories 18(1) Read Stories Aloud 18(2) Get to Know Your Students as Readers 20(1) Learn About Student's Reading Lives at Home 21(1) Enjoy Your Students 21(1) Celebrate Your Life 22(1) Share Your Reading Life 23(18) Tell Students Why You Read 24(1) Share Your Reading Habits 25(16) Let Students Know What You Are Reading and What You Will Read Next 25(1) Share Your Passion for Reading 26(1) Discuss the Importance and Pleasure of Having a Personal Library 27(1) Talk About Favorite Authors and Favorite Books 27(3) Talk About How Book Clubs Work 30(1) Explain How You Choose Books to Read 30(2) Read a Variety of Genres 32(1) Maintain a Reading Record 33(4) Show Your Students How You Read 37(1) Demonstrate Your Pleasure in Reading 37(4) Two The Essential Reading Day Teach with a Sense of Urgency 41(22) Do More Teaching 42(1) Rely on an Optimal Learning Model 43(4) Demonstration 45(1) Shared Demonstration 45(1) Guided Practice 46(1) Independent Practice 46(1) Understand and Apply the Learning Model 47(3) Work Toward Independence 48(1) Promote Joy in Learning 48(1) Put the Learning Model into Action 49(1) Integrate Basic Skills into Challenging, Relevant Curriculum 50(2) Focus on Language Acquisition, Not Just Letters and Sounds 51(1) Ground Phonemic Awareness Work in Language Play 51(1) Maximize Whole-Class Teaching 52(1) Include Interactive Reading 52(1) Connect Reading with Writing 53(4) How Much Written Response Is Appropriate? 54(1) Create Your Own Texts for Shared, Guided, and Independent Reading 54(1) Put It into Action: An Integrated Reading--Writing Lesson 55(2) Summary of Reading--Writing Activities 57(5) Text-Solving Activities 57(3) Word-Solving Activities 60(2) Raise Your Expectations 62(1) Organize an Outstanding Classroom Library 63(19) Classroom Libraries and Books Improve Reading Achievement 64(2) Expand Access for Struggling Readers 65(1) Be Sure to Include and Value ``Light Reading'' 65(1) Take a Critical Look at Your Classroom Library 66(7) Provide Lots of Choices and Books 67(1) Find Out Students' Favorite Authors, Series, and Book Titles 68(1) Pay Attention to Students' Interests and De-emphasize Leveled Books 69(1) Include Lots of Nonfiction 70(1) Make Books and Book Talk ``Hot'' in Your Classroom 71(2) Make Classroom and School Libraries Attractive, Comfortable, and Accessible for Reading 73(8) Involve Your Students in Library Design and Organization 75(4) Teach Students How to Care for Books 79(1) Start a Summer Reading Program 80(1) Classroom Libraries Simplify Guided Reading 81(1) There Is No Substitute for Quality Books 81(1) Plan for and Monitor Independent Reading 82(16) Students Need to Do More Reading 83(2) Struggling Readers Need Much More Time to Read 84(1) What Do We Mean by an Independent Reading Program? 85(2) Research Strongly Supports Independent Reading 85(1) Connect Independent Reading with Teaching and Evaluating 86(1) Notice Where Independent Reading Fits in the Optimal Learning Model 86(1) An Independent Reading Program Is Essential 87(4) Set Up Classroom Procedures 88(1) Value Independent Reading in Kindergarten 89(2) Depend on Partner Reading 91(2) Evaluate Partner Reading 93(1) Teach Students How to Select ``Just-Right'' Books 93(5) Establish Selection Guidelines 94(2) Demonstrate That Reading Words Accurately Is Not Enough 96(1) Don't Underestimate the Importance of Choice 97(1) Make Assessment Instruction's Working Partner 98(19) Make Assessment Work for You and Your Students 99(1) Make Assessment and Evaluation a Daily Routine 100(1) Regularly Evaluate Students Regarding the Texts They Are Reading 100(4) Conduct Informal Reading Conferences 101(3) A Framework for an Informal Reading Conference 104(4) Child-Friendly Reading Goals 106(1) Teach Intentionally 107(1) Try Some Informal Reading Conferences 108(1) Use Standards and High-Stakes Testing to Improve Comprehension 108(3) Make Ongoing Accountability Central to Teaching Reading 111(6) Have a School Policy in Place 111(1) Work to Change Cumbersome District Policies 112(5) Three Teaching Essentials Teach Comprehension 117(13) Teach Comprehension Right from the Start 117(1) Start with the Texts Students Are Reading 118(1) Demonstrate That Proficient Readers Use Many Strategies 118(3) Be Careful About How You Teach Comprehension 119(1) Balance Explicit Instruction with Lots of Time for Application 119(1) Teach and Apply Your Own Comprehension Processes 120(1) Make Your Reading/Thinking Process Visible 121(6) Teach Rereading as the Single Most Useful Strategy 122(1) Use Writing to Help Recall Key Points 123(1) Teach Students to Survey Text Before They Begin to Read 123(1) Make Connections 124(1) Teach Self-Monitoring as Crucial to Understanding 124(2) Interact with Peers to Increase Comprehension and Enjoyment 126(1) Use Texts That Are Easy Enough and Meaningful Enough to Support Comprehension 127(2) Keep Fluency in Perspective 128(1) Teach Students How to Ask Significant Questions 128(1) Use Caution and Common Sense When Teaching Strategies 129(1) Emphasize Shared Reading 130(20) Make Shared Reading an Integral Part of Your Reading Program 130(3) Notice Where Shared Reading Fits in the Optimal Learning Model 131(1) Use Shared Reading to Demonstrate Reading of All Kinds of Texts 132(1) Add Shared Reading Aloud 133(1) A Framework for Shared Reading Aloud for All Grades 134(5) Observe Shared Reading Aloud in Action 139(11) Enjoy a Picture Book in a Shared Read-Aloud 139(4) Present an Informational Book Through a Shared Read-Aloud 143(4) Introduce a Literary Genre Through a Shared Read-Aloud 147(2) Evaluate Shared Reading Aloud 149(1) Examine Guided Reading 150(35) Clarify Guided Reading for Yourself 150(2) Understand Where Guided Reading Fits in the Optimal Learning Model 151(1) Be Cautious About How You Group Children 152(1) Create Opportunities for Flexible Grouping 153(1) Choose Books for Guided Reading Carefully 153(3) Examine Your Book Collection for Quality 154(1) Qualities of an Excellent Text for Guided Reading 155(1) Establish a Workable Schedule 156(3) Broaden Your Groups and Shorten the Time You Meet with Them 157(1) Examine Your Instructional Reading Schedule 157(2) Be Flexible About Guided Reading in Kindergarten 159(1) Make Management Easy and Meaningful 160(3) Have Students Spend Most of Reading Time Reading 160(3) Make Sure Your Literacy Centers Are Worth the Time They Take 163(1) Make Sure Your Management Techniques Are ``Manageable'' 163(4) Model Exactly What You Expect Students to Do 163(2) Evaluate How Well Students Not in a Guided Reading Group Have Managed Themselves 165(2) Plan Your Guided Reading Lessons with a Focus on Meaning 167(3) Some Important Purposes for Guided Reading 168(2) A Framework for Thinking About a Guided Reading Lesson 170(2) Essential Materials for Guided Reading 172(3) Excerpts From Guided Reading Groups 175(10) Grade 1: Readers Who Struggle 175(3) Grade 1: High-Achieving Readers 178(2) Grade 2: Average Readers 180(2) Grade 4: High Average Readers 182(3) Four Advocacy Is Also Essential Build on Best Practice, Know the Research, and Use Programs as a Resource 185(16) Build on Best Practices in Teaching Reading 186(5) Be Knowledgeable About Relevant Research 187(2) Be Informed About the Influential National Reading Panel Report 189(2) Know and Apply the Research on Effective Teaching 191(1) Use Programs Only as a Resource 191(9) Take a Close Look at Your Commercial Basal Reader 193(1) Become Knowledgeable About Direct Instruction 193(2) Ask Questions Before Any Program Adoption 195(3) A Word About Computerized Reading-Incentive Programs 198(2) Take Professional Responsibility for What You Believe 200(1) You Only Have So Much Time 201(19) Live an Interesting Life 202(1) Spend Most of Your Time Thinking 202(3) Trust Your Own Experiences to Help You Plan Well 203(1) Keep Work Meaningful 203(1) Keep Work Simple 204(1) Make Every Minute Count 205(7) Use All Time Spent with Your Students to Teach and Assess 205(1) Make Ongoing Evaluation Part of Every Literacy Activity 205(1) Keep a Lively Pace 206(1) Create Structures That Maximize Participation and Learning 207(1) Fight for More Time for Students Who Struggle 207(1) Use Transitional Periods as Teaching Times 208(1) Introduce ``Mystery Words'' 208(1) Make Work Done While Waiting for the Bell to Ring Sensible and Pleasurable 209(1) Make Resources in the Room Useful and Easy to Access 210(1) Minimize Coloring 210(1) Reduce Interruptions 211(1) Reevaluate Time Blocks 211(1) Look at Your Schedule Carefully 212(1) Make Time for Ongoing Professional Development 212(1) Sample Teacher Schedules 213(5) Take Part in Schoolwide Conversations 216(1) Make Time for Personal and Professional Reading 217(1) Do Less, More Effectively 218(2) Build in Time to Reflect 218(1) Cultivate a Love of Learning 218(2) Enjoy! 220(1) Without Human Caring, the Best Science Is Minimally Effective 221 Appendices A. Selected Strategies for Struggling Readers 2(1) B. 12 Practices of the Most Effective Teachers 3(1) Letters to Parents C. Why Independent Reading Is Necessary 4(1) D. Help Your Child Choose a ``Just-Right'' Book and Encourage Home Reading 5(1) Choosing Books E. Use the Goldilocks Strategy to Choose Books 6(1) F. Choosing Books for Independent Reading 7(1) G. SSR Reading 8(1) Reading Forms H. Informal Reading Conference 9(1) I. Reading Log 10(1) J. Monthly Recording 11(1) Brief Definitions of Terms 12(5) Notes 17 Index 1