Struggling Readers Can Succeed

In spite of No Child Left Behind and the support provided by Response To Intervention, significant numbers of students continue to struggle with literacy. This text addresses learning-related needs of individual students in addition to interventions for the challenges they face. Struggling readers represent many different ethnicities, socio-economic levels, languages, and dialects in any combination and possess an even wider variety of social, cultural, motivational, literacy, and real world experiences. Through the presentation of case studies, this book considers these factors and their influence on literacy development and suggests ways to adapt research-based instructional strategies and approaches, as well as classroom practices to address them. It also includes related recommended resources. The text appeals to the concerns of classroom teachers, reading specialists, and faculty in teacher education programs, as well as anyone looking for practical, research-based ways to further the literacy development of individuals who struggle to read.

In spite of No Child Left Behind and the support provided by Response To Intervention, significant numbers of students continue to struggle with literacy. This text addresses learning-related needs of individual students in addition to interventions for the challenges they face. Struggling readers represent many different ethnicities, socio-economic levels, languages, and dialects in any combination and possess an even wider variety of social, cultural, motivational, literacy, and real world experiences. Through the presentation of case studies, this book considers these factors and their influence on literacy development and suggests ways to adapt research-based instructional strategies and approaches, as well as classroom practices to address them. It also includes related recommended resources. The text appeals to the concerns of classroom teachers, reading specialists, and faculty in teacher education programs, as well as anyone looking for practical, research-based ways to further the literacy development of individuals who struggle to read.

The founder of the Benchmark School offers a researched-based interactive learning model which provides a proven approach for helping struggling students become better readers, thinkers, learners, and problem solvers.

The untold story of the root cause of America's education crisis--and the seemingly endless cycle of multigenerational poverty. It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country's frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn't one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum's intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension "skills" at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff's The Prize and Dana Goldstein's The Teacher Wars, Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system--one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But The Knowledge Gap isn't just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong--it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.

"The book's major strengths are its ease of use and the range of approaches to address many different reading issues. You can read straight through for a host of ideas, or you can pinpoint exactly which kind of strategy to explore."-Kristie Mary Betts, English TeacherPeak to Peak High School, Lafayette, CO"Bottom line: This book is reader friendly! Teachers in the content areas can quickly and easily find specific ideas to help students."-Barbara L. Townsend, Reading SpecialistElkhorn Area School District, WIHelp for students who are overwhelmed, feel confused, can't remember, lack language skills, or just don't get it.In today's era of accountability, teachers are expected to help all secondary students understand complex concepts and ideas and demonstrate proficiency on high-stakes tests. To promote success for struggling readers in all content areas, expert educator Elaine K. McEwan offers 40 user-friendly and easy-to-implement strategies in an invaluable text that includes three tables of contents (traditional, topical, and problem-solving) formatted for quick and easy reference.Each of the 40 research-based and classroom-tested techniques features: An intriguing quotation or definition to grab your attention A brief description of the method and suggestions for implementation Recommended resources to gain a more in-depth understanding of the method Research citations to demonstrate the power of the method to get results Offering cross-references and advance organizers throughout, this book provides the specific yet comprehensive information you need to support all students with reading difficulties.

Each struggling reader has a unique combination of strengths and areas that require targeted instruction. Through their work with teachers and children in an after-school tutoring program, the authors have identified six types of struggling readers and offer here suggestions for assessment and instruction for each type. The book imparts lessons learned from the tutoring program that are applicable to the classroom and beyond, suggesting how teachers can reach out to and involve parents, caregivers, and families.

This book provides classroom-tested methods for engaging struggling middle grade readers--even those who appear to have given up--and fostering their success. The emphasis is on constructing respectful, encouraging learning environments that incorporate students' diverse literacies, cultural interests, and prior knowledge and skills into instruction. Chapters outline effective, innovative strategies for instruction and assessment in comprehension, vocabulary, text-based discussion, critical reading, and other core areas. Realistic classroom examples are included throughout, including applications of nontraditional texts. Other useful features include reflection questions at the end of each chapter. Winner--Literacy Research Association's Edward B. Fry Book Award

While most children learn to read fairly well, there remain many young Americans whose futures are imperiled because they do not read well enough to meet the demands of our competitive, technology-driven society. This book explores the problem within the context of social, historical, cultural, and biological factors. Recommendations address the identification of groups of children at risk, effective instruction for the preschool and early grades, effective approaches to dialects and bilingualism, the importance of these findings for the professional development of teachers, and gaps that remain in our understanding of how children learn to read. Implications for parents, teachers, schools, communities, the media, and government at all levels are discussed. The book examines the epidemiology of reading problems and introduces the concepts used by experts in the field. In a clear and readable narrative, word identification, comprehension, and other processes in normal reading development are discussed. Against the background of normal progress, Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children examines factors that put children at risk of poor reading. It explores in detail how literacy can be fostered from birth through kindergarten and the primary grades, including evaluation of philosophies, systems, and materials commonly used to teach reading.