Reading For Life

Why is it that more people can’t read and write? Why are there still so many vastly different methods of teaching literacy? Why do people still argue about it? Reading for Life examines these three questions, addressing the less evidence supported ideas about teaching reading and writing which are still alive and well in schools all over the world. This accessible guide bridges the gap between research and practice, translating academic findings into practical suggestions and ready-to-use techniques. Written in an approachable style and with informative graphics, vignettes and interviews woven throughout, this book covers: the components of literacy, including phonics, vocabulary and fluency the history of approaches to literacy teaching and an overview of the key figures government-level inquiries into the provision of reading and writing teaching the mindset which leads to acceptance of poor practice the essential components of an effective literacy program with practical advice on selecting resources to get the job done well Reading for Life helps educational practitioners make informed decisions about which teaching methods to reject and select, and empowers parents to ask the right questions of professionals and policy makers. This book is a timely exploration of poor teaching methods and is an innovative, fresh assessment of how high quality literacy teaching can be provided for all.

This volume presents original case-histories of readers to delve into just what reading is and how it works. Each chapter begins with a poem or excerpt which becomes the scene either of a reading-group transcription or of a thought-piece from an interviewed reader to explore therapeutic reading and how culture might impact upon health.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Anna Quindlen presents a “swift and compelling paean to the joys of books” (Booklist). “Like the columns she used to write for the New York Times, [How Reading Changed My Life] is tart, smart, full of quirky insights, lapidary, and a pleasure to read.”—Publishers Weekly “Reading has always been my home, my sustenance, my great invincible companion. . . . Yet of all the many things in which we recognize universal comfort—God, sex, food, family, friends—reading seems to be the one in which the comfort is most undersung, at least publicly, although it was really all I thought of, or felt, when I was eating up book after book, running away from home while sitting in a chair, traveling around the world and yet never leaving the room. . . . I read because I loved it more than any activity on earth.”—from How Reading Changed My Life

Reading a selection of novels for a second time, Birkerts reflects on his first readings and what later readings reveal about the passing of time and of memory.

This collection presents "more than 650 readings about daily life from present-day authors ..."--Inside jacket flap.

This stylish journal created exclusively for book lovers includes custom reading lists, charming literary quotes, and plenty of room to record what you've read and what you'd love to read. "Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind."--Toni Morrison Designed by a book lover for book lovers, My Reading Life is the ideal companion for all your literary adventures. Anne Bogel, better known online as The Modern Mrs. Darcy, provides you with insightful reading lists for every popular genre and each season. She even helps you determine the kinds of books you'd most like to read based on your interests. You'll also appreciate the sleek, compact design, perfect for taking on the go to the library, bookstore, or your next book club gathering. So much more than just a journal, this book is a joyful celebration of the written word, one that will significantly enrich every day of your reading life.

“A lively survey…her research and insights make us conscious of how we, today, use books.”—John Sutherland, The New York Times Book Review Two centuries before the advent of radio, television, and motion pictures, books were a cherished form of popular entertainment and an integral component of domestic social life. In this fascinating and vivid history, Abigail Williams explores the ways in which shared reading shaped the lives and literary culture of the eighteenth century, offering new perspectives on how books have been used by their readers, and the part they have played in middle-class homes and families. Drawing on marginalia, letters and diaries, library catalogues, elocution manuals, subscription lists, and more, Williams offers fresh and fascinating insights into reading, performance, and the history of middle-class home life. “Williams’s charming pageant of anecdotes…conjures a world strikingly different from our own but surprisingly similar in many ways, a time when reading was on the rise and whole worlds sprang up around it.”—TheWashington Post

A recent survey of 200 teachers asking the question ‘spelling is...?’ resulted in the following adjectives: ‘difficult’, ‘complex’, ‘confusing’, ‘random’, ‘confounding’. Spelling for Life offers lucid, accessible tools which help to reveal that, when explicitly and systematically taught, spelling is scientific, law-abiding and even elegant. It explains that spelling is the manipulation of symbols according to agreed-upon patterns that produce predictable results. Spelling errors also fall into sets of predictable patterns. Success in spelling is not a product of intelligence. Many people struggle to spell due to coping strategies developed in place of explicit instruction. What gives spelling its ‘complex’ veneer is the fact that different ways of thinking are required at different levels from word to word. Some words can be spelt as they sound, others have to be visually memorised and some rely on knowledge of core rules about word-structure. A lot of words require more than one strand of knowledge. This book makes clear which strand needs to be applied in different situations. Often pupils who can read and express themselves competently nevertheless find spelling difficult. False assumptions about spelling, such as believing the English language is complex and/or irregular, damage confidence and lead to reluctance to even attempt to spell correctly. Spelling For Life enables teachers and pupils to: learn what the common spelling coping strategies are gain insights into undoing poor spelling habits work together to notice patterns not only in regular spelling, but also in words which on the surface seem to break the spelling rules practise successful spelling strategies, progressing from simple to complex words rapidly and with confidence. Using a synthesis of theory, research and teaching experience, the fascinating nature of English spelling is systematically teased out. The examples and exercises offer an encouraging, accessible way to implement the programme of study and strive to reveal the beauty of spelling. Aided by example lessons, progressive assessments, unique tools and extensive practice lists, this highly acclaimed overview of spelling succeeds in developing critical thinking and confidence when reading and spelling. It can be used in conjunction with any established phonics programme.