Here is a carefully selected group of books that can help you implement sound reading strategies in your classroom.

For Further Reading

35 Must-Have Assessment & Record-Keeping Forms for Reading
by Laura Robb
The author gives the tools necessary for observing and assessing reading for individual students. Some of the forms include reading and interest surveys, reading strategy checklists, and self-evaluation forms. (New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 2001).

A Handbook of Content Literacy Strategies: 75 Practical Reading and Writing Ideas by Elaine C. Stephens and Jean E. Brown
This book combines reading and writing as implements to teaching in the content areas. While teachers develop instructional practice, students become more active learners. Both fictional and non-fictional literature is included. (Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc., 2000).

A New Vision for Staff Development by Dennis Sparks and Stephanie Hirsh
Sparks and Hirsh explain the most current ideas behind effective staff development, explaining how older methods proved ineffective, and demonstrating the quality of newer approaches. They draw on examples from real schools throughout the country. (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1997).

Academic Reading by Kathleen T. McWhorter
The book contains strategies for reading texts in all content areas as well as online sources. (New York: Longman, 2001).

Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning by Doug Buehl
Buehl assesses thirty common teaching strategies adaptable for students in elementary grades through high school. The strategies provide ideas for teachers working with diverse students and classrooms. (Schofield, WI: Wisconsin State Reading Association, 1995).

Comprehending College Textbooks by Joe Cortina, Janet Elder and Katherine Gonnet
The technique taught in the book is a step-by-step approach to understanding college textbook materials. Also included are reading selections followed by comprehension quizzes. (Boston, MA: McGraw Hill Companies, Inc., 1996).

Content Area Literacy: An Integrated Approach
by John E. Readence, Thomas W. Bean and R. Scott Baldwin
The text integrates reading and learning from textbooks with a CD-ROM Digital Supplement to provide literature and technology for content literacy development. (Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1998).

Content Area Reading by Richard T. Vacca and JoAnne L. Vacca
Vacca and Vacca provide a close look at content area reading and, in particular, the teacher's role in the process of students' learning. It is accompanied by a website (http://longman.awl.com/vacca) to further expound on the ideas in the text. (New York: Longman, 1999).

Content Area Literacy in the Secondary Setting by Barbara Falotico, Jill Nunziato, Kathleen O'Rourke and Carol Young
The workbook is a presentation on "Literacy in the Secondary Setting," specifically, Prior Knowledge, Text Structure & Graphic Organizers, Vocabulary Connections, Processing Adaptations and Top Ten Processing Strategies. (Northport, NY: Northport High School).

Creating Writers: Linking Writing and Assessment and Instruction by Vicki Spandel and Richard J. Stiggins
The authors propose an individualized method of teaching writing by assessing each student's work and teaching based on that assessment, as opposed to one general method. (New York: Longman, 1997).

Easy Mini-Lessons for Building Vocabulary by Laura Robb
This book is composed of practical strategies that improve both word knowledge and reading comprehension. Also included are mini-lessons such as vocabulary discussion charts and "dictionary dipping." (New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 1999).

Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6): Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content Literacy by Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
The authors provide a comprehensive guide for developing a successful literacy program for Grades 3-6. The book explains practical suggestions and methods, and the authors also include an extensive book list recommended for students.

History Textbooks at the New Century by Gilbert T. Sewall
As a "Report of the American Textbook Council," this is a guide to teaching history in the classroom. (New York: American Textbook Council, 2000).

I Hear America Reading: Why We Read, What We Read by Jim Burke
This book is a collection of letters from a diverse range of people, both children and adults, examining their views on reading in today's society. Each letter follows a quote from a famous person reflecting on the "power of books." (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999).

I Read It, But I Don't Get It by Cris Tovani
This book is a guide for teachers assisting students at all levels of achievement in developing or redeveloping reading comprehension skills. Included are anecdotes, teaching tips and ideas, and appendixes with reproducible material. (Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2000).

I'll Grant You That by Jim Burke and Carol Ann Prater
This resource is a detailed guide for finding funds and writing strong grant proposals. It includes samples from successful grants and workshops designed to strengthen specific writing skills.

Making Connections: Reading and Understanding College Textbooks by Sheila Allen
A three-part textbook, this guide shows students how to read and understand college textbooks. Part One examines critical thinking skills; Part Two addresses content-area chapters with tests at the end of the chapter; and Part Three contains journal articles for reinforcement. (Fort Worth, TX: Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 1998).

Matching Books to Readers: Using Leveled Books in Guided Reading, K-3 by Irene C. Fountas & Gay Su Pinnell
This book is a leveled reading list. It contains 7,500 caption books, series books, and children's literature for kindergarten through grade three. Also included are descriptions of the leveled books and a "how to use" section." (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999).

Methods That Matter: Six Structures for Best Practice Classrooms by Harvey Daniels and Marilyn Bizar
These are practical ways of organizing the classroom while still maintaining "student-centered" classrooms. The book contains stories by over 45 teachers who have followed these methods. (York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 1998).

Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop by Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmermann
The content of this book is focused on strategies to help children become more independent readers. (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1997).

Phonics from A to Z: A Practical Guide by Wiley Blevins
Written by a reading specialist, this resource for K-3 teachers includes over 100 activities for developing students' phonics skills. It also contains sample lessons for the teachers. (New York, Scholastic Professional Books, 1998).

Read and Retell by Hazel Brown and Brian Cambourne
This text examines the strategy of retelling and the whole-language approach. The authors discuss the approach and how to achieve it in a classroom. (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1987).

Reading & Learning Strategies for Middle & High School Students by Susan Davis Lenski, Mary Ann Wham, Jerry L. Johns
This book is intended for use in content area reading courses as well as for in-service programs for teachers in middle schools and high schools. (Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, 1999).

Reading and Learning to Read by JoAnne L. Vacca, Richard T. Vacca and Mary K. Grove
The authors' focus in this book is achieving balance in the learning process by examining how children learn and what reading techniques achieve the best results. (New York: Longman, 2000).

Reading for Meaning: Fostering Comprehension in the Middle Grades by Barbara M. Taylor, Michael F. Graves & Paul van den Broek
This book is a collection of resources and teaching strategies for improving reading comprehension at elementary and secondary levels. (Newark, DE: Teachers College Press, 2000).

Reading for Understanding by Ruth Schoenbach, Cynthia Greenleag, Christine Cziko and Lori Hurwitz
A guide for middle school and high school reading programs, this book assists teachers in helping students build reading comprehension and relate to what they read. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999).

Reading Reminders: Tools, Tips, and Techniques by Jim Burke
Burke provides a comprehensive guide to teaching reading skills. He begins by discussing the establishment of a reading culture and explaining general teaching tips. Evaluation methods for assessing the performance of both teachers and students are included. In addition, this text includes practical teaching techniques that can be implemented in the classroom.

Reading Smart: Advanced Techniques for Improved Reading by Nicholas Reid Schaffzin
This book is a help aid in reading faster and more comprehensively. The techniques include prereading, pen-marking, mapping, and clustering. (New York: Random House, Inc., 1996).

Reading Strategies and Practices: A Compendium by Robert J. Tierney and John E. Readence
This book provides a variety of strategies to strengthen reading comprehension; focuses on critical thinking methods. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 2000).

Reading Strategies That Work: by Laura Robb
This workbook contains several approaches to teaching reading comprehension skills to children and making it enjoyable. (New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 1996).

Redefining Staff Development: A Collaborative Model for Teachers and Administrators by Laura Robb
Robb discusses the process of beginning, maintaining, and evaluating a professional development program for educators. Her ideas and methods are unique because they are based on the everyday activities of educators, and therefore, implementing this type of program would require less funding than other inservice programs.

Revisit, Reflect, Retell: Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension by Linda Hoyt
A collection of strategies and reproducibles provide a way of improving comprehension through guided reflection and retelling. Each chapter includes guides for teachers and student self-reflection forms. (Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1999).

Strategic Learning in the Content Areas by Doris M. Cook
A workbook by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, this book guides teachers through instructing students in the content areas. (Milwaukee: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, 1989).

Strategic Teaching and Learning California Department of Education
This is the "Standards-Based Instruction to Promote Content Literacy in Grades Four Through Twelve" from the California Department of Education. (Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education, 2000).

Supporting Intermediate & Secondary Readers by Armin Schulz
This book grew out of the California Reading Association's desire to focus on intermediate and secondary reading needs in addition to supporting primary grade instruction. Included in the book are reproducible worksheets to accompany the assigned reading. (Costa Mesa, CA: California Reading Association, 1998).

Systems for Change in Literacy Education: A Guide to Professional Development by Carol A. Lyons and Gay Su Pinnell
Lyons and Pinnell offer suggestions for helping teachers of reading and writing improve their teaching methods. The book also includes specific methods for creating an effective professional development course for reading and writing teachers.

Teaching Reading Sourcebook for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade by Bill Honig, Linda Diamond and Linda Gutlohn
This is a sourcebook that identifies ways to construct meanings from text-from recognizing words to understanding passages.

Teaching Reading in Middle School by Laura Robb
This is a comprehensive book on how to teach reading comprehension to middle school age students. (New York: Scholastic Professional Books, 2000).

Teaching Struggling Readers by Richard L. Allington
Allington provides examples of effective classrooms where teachers can learn techniques to teach children with varying reading abilities. (Albany, NY: International Reading Association, Inc., 1998).

The English Teacher's Companion by Jim Burke
Burke presents a way of teaching consistent with the current national English Language Arts standards. It is also accompanied by a website (www.englishcompanion.com) to provide additional resources.

The Main Idea: Reading to Learn by Myrna Bigman Skidell and Sidney Graves Becker
This book provides a distinct plan to help developmental students handle the demands of college reading. The instruction is in reading behaviors, or strategies. (Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999).

Whole Language, Whole Learners by Laura Robb
This book focuses on literature-centered teaching and the outcomes it can have on a classroom. It addresses the teacher as a learner and builds a foundation for teaching the theory. (New York: William Morrow and Company, 1994).

With Rigor for All by Carol Jago
Jago provides suggestions for how to teach the classics to high school students. It includes ideas on overcoming the obstacles of length, difficult vocabulary, complex syntax, and student dissatisfaction as well as student responses to the method. (Portland, ME: Calendar Island Publishers, 2000.)


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