Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, Seventh Edition

Lesley Mandel Morrow, PhD, is Distinguished Professor of Literacy and Director of the Center for Literacy Development at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Her research deals with early literacy development and the organization and management of language arts programs and literacy-rich environments. Dr. Morrow has published more than 300 journal articles, chapters, and books. Her work has been recognized with awards including the Outstanding Teacher Educator in Reading Award and the William S. Gray Citation of Merit, both from the International Literacy Association (ILA), and the Oscar S. Causey Award for outstanding contributions to reading research from the Literacy Research Association. Dr. Morrow is past president of the ILA and is a member and past president of the Reading Hall of Fame.Ernest Morrell, PhD, until his death in 2026, was Coyle Professor of Literacy Education at the University of Notre Dame, where he was also Director of the Center for Literacy Education and a faculty member in Africana Studies. He served for five years as Associate Dean of Humanities and Faculty Development in the College of Arts and Letters. A renowned scholar and educator, Dr. Morrell was an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education, and an elected Fellow of the American Educational Research Association. His scholarly interests included literacy studies, critical media pedagogy, English education, postcolonial literatures, the African Diaspora, and youth popular culture. He was the recipient of honors including the 2025 James R. Squire Award from the National Council of Teachers of English and the 2026 President's Award from the University of Notre Dame, awarded posthumously. Dr. Morrell authored more than 100 articles and book chapters and authored or edited 17 scholarly books.Heather Kenyon Casey, PhD, is Professor of Literacy Education at Rider University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in literacy, coordinates the graduate-level literacy concentration, and is Site Director of the National Writing Project. A former middle school language arts teacher and a certified reading specialist, Dr. Casey is past co-chair of the Adolescent Literacy Task Force and the Literacy Reform Task Force of the International Literacy Association (ILA). Her research focuses on the use of collaborative learning structures and new literacies to support adolescent literacy development and engagement. She has published numerous articles and book chapters in these areas and recently edited a series for the ILA, Literacy Practices That Adolescents Deserve. She has also led several grants in partnership with the National Writing Project focusing on building teacher leadership.

"At a time when access to literacy should be commonplace, we continue to witness historic inequities. The seventh edition of this foundational text takes readers on a much-needed journey into the literacy lives of children from diverse backgrounds. It shares evidence-based, innovative ideas from multiple experts in the field. I often remind my students that, when it comes to children's learning, 'You must reach them to teach them!' This book provides guidance on how to reach all children--and effectively teach them."--Gwendolyn Thompson McMillon, PhD, Professor of Literacy and Coordinator, Literacy, Culture, and Language Doctoral Program, Oakland University"The revised seventh edition addresses the foundations of what we know about reading comprehension, vocabulary and language development, and writing, across grades and content areas. It offers dedicated attention to the complex, multidimensional demands of literacy skills, with a social justice focus on how best practices can contribute to robust learning for all students. Across the chapters, the book illustrates the centrality of the cultural repertoires that students bring to the classroom, and shows how to recruit and sustain these repertoires in instruction. This volume is both a theoretical and practical guide that can support learning in teacher preparation programs as well as professional learning communities."--Carol D. Lee, PhD, Edwina S. Tarry Professor Emerita, School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University"Each edition of this text brings essential knowledge to the field. The seventh edition highlights the complexity of literacy and the need to reconsider traditional views and approaches to teaching literacy at all grade levels. I recommend the text as a whole for graduate-level courses on literacy, while individual chapters can augment undergraduate courses. Chapters are written by experts in the field, and students will benefit from the comprehensive and critical approach."--Danielle V. Dennis, PhD, Dean, Feinstein College of Education, University of Rhode Island-Recommended for literacy teachers of all skill levels. (on the fourth edition)--Choice Reviews, 1/1/2012

• Foreword, Gholnecsar (Gholdy) E. MuhammadI. Situating Best Practices: Comprehensive and Culturally, Responsive Literacy Instruction1. Current Issues and Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, P. David Pearson, Christina L. Madda, & Taffy E. Raphael2. Best Practices to Promote Social Justice and Equity in the Literacy Classroom, Ernest Morrell3. Best Practices for Motivating Students to Read, Ana Taboada Barber & John T. GuthrieII. Best Practices throughout the Grades4. Best Practices in Early Literacy, Lesley Mandel Morrow, Susan Dougherty, & Diane Tracey5. Best Practices for Literacy in the Intermediate and Middle Grades, Heather Kenyon Casey6. Best Practices for Literacy in High School, Douglas Fisher & Nancy Frey7. Best Practices for Integrating Children’s Literature into the Life of the Classroom, Kathy G. Short8. Best Practices for Organizing and Differentiating for Equitable Literacy Instruction, D. Ray Reutzel & Parker C. FawsonIII. Evidence-Based Practices for Literacy Teaching and Learning9. Best Practices for Developing Phonological Awareness, Phonics, and Word Study to Support Fluent Reading, Donald R. Bear10. Best Practices in Fluency Instruction, Melanie Kuhn, Timothy Rasinski, & Chase Young11. Best Practices in Vocabulary Instruction, Kathy Ganske12. Best Practices for Developing Comprehension across Genres, Nell K. Duke & Nicole M. Martin13. Best Practices in Teaching Writers, Kelly Gallagher & Penny Kittle14. Best Practices in Reading Nonfiction: Understanding the Possibilities and Problems, Robert Probst & Kylene Beers15. Best Practices in Digital Literacy, Troy HicksIV. Best Practices to Meet Targeted Needs16. Best Practices to Support the Literacy Development of Bilingual Learners, Ofelia García & Claudia Cervantes-Soon17. Best Practices to Change the Trajectory of Students Experiencing Reading Difficulties, Victoria J. Risko & Doris Walker-Dalhouse18. Best Practices to Support Achieving Yet “Invisible” Literacy Learners, Diane Lapp, Toni Faddis, & Alejandro Gonzalez Ojeda19. Best Practices in Literacy Assessment, Nancy Frey, Alejandro Gonzalez Ojeda, & Douglas FisherV. Sustaining Best Practices: The Importance of Building Connections20. Best Practices Linking Professional Learning, Literacy Coaching, and Equity, Sharon Walpole, Faith Muirhead, & Jaime True Daley21. Best Practices for Home, School, and Community Partnerships: Collaborating for Social Justice and Equity, Patricia A. Edwards & Jacquelyn S. SweeneyEpilogue. Literacy Practicing: Repositioning Teachers as Cultural Workers and Ecopedagogues toward Creating Learning Cultures, Robert J. Tierney & P. David PearsonAfterword. Teaching Literacy in the Dystopia of Now: A Call to Action, Cornelius MinorIndex