Reading For The Real World

Reading for the Real World is a four-book series designed for intermediate to advanced English learner who wish to improve their academic reading fluency and comprehension. All reading passages and exercises have been revised and updated. High-interest readings on a wide range of topics motivate students and provide abundant practice, while also enabling students to acquire the New Academic Word List (NAWL) in context.

"Just as adults join clubs to share and talk about common interests, reading clubs allow kids to immerse themselves in topics and ideas they care about - whether it's turtles, fairy tales, a beloved author, a favorite new series, or the desire to get better at reading aloud to a baby brother or sister. While they are reading and talking about their interests and passions, students in reading clubs are also orchestrating all of the reading skills and strategies they've learned and applying them in real-life ways." "While Kathy presents ideas for implementing reading clubs during reading workshop in a balanced literacy framework, the information she provides will be helpful for any teacher who wants to foster the joy of reading by offering students support and opportunities to read for authentic purposes and to have conversations about topics that interest and engage them. After all, we don't just want kids to learn to read, we want them to love to read."--BOOK JACKET.

From the author of the highly acclaimed, New York Times bestselling novel Pax comes a gorgeous and moving middle grade novel that is an ode to introverts, dreamers, and misfits everywhere. Ware can’t wait to spend summer “off in his own world”—dreaming of knights in the Middle Ages and generally being left alone. But then his parents sign him up for dreaded Rec camp, where he must endure Meaningful Social Interaction and whatever activities so-called “normal” kids do. On his first day Ware meets Jolene, a tough, secretive girl planting a garden in the rubble of an abandoned church next to the camp. Soon he starts skipping Rec, creating a castle-like space of his own in the church lot. Jolene scoffs, calling him a dreamer—he doesn’t live in the “real world” like she does. As different as Ware and Jolene are, though, they have one thing in common: for them, the lot is a refuge. But when their sanctuary is threatened, Ware looks to the knights’ Code of Chivalry: Thou shalt do battle against unfairness wherever faced with it. Thou shalt be always the champion of the Right and Good—and vows to save the lot. But what does a hero look like in real life? And what can two misfit kids do?

From focusing on meaning and technique to sharing and transforming texts, Reading in the Real World is full of simple yet effective ways to read all text forms with confidence. Strategies to use before, during, and after reading help students discover how meaning and technique work together in real-world texts. Based on the many forms of texts that modern readers encounter, the book uses familiar genres to guide readers to a better understanding of new text formats. It includes reproducible organizers and examples--ranging from stories and poetry to comics and print advertisements--to help readers make the most of the texts that surround them in their real lives. In a short and accessible form, this book outlines innovative approaches and activities that will motivate students to read effectively and with enthusiasm.