Don K. Philpot is a teacher, teacher educator, and writer. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the topics of instructional methodologies, content area reading, reading and writing instruction, and children’s literature in Pennsylvania.

Spanning the disciplines of science and language arts, this resource offers middle school teachers practical approaches to helping their students succeed as young learners. Grounded in the cyclical nature of reading as a complex undertaking, the overarching aim of this book is to enhance middle school students’ learning of science through reading. The first section introduces a reading cycle that focuses on student actions, such as activating knowledge, visualizing, and summarizing, which map to the three phases of reading that anchor this book (orienting, sustaining, and consolidating). The use of examples and concept maps ensure that this approach is conveyed in a clear and applicable manner. The following section, which comprises the bulk of this volume, presents essential actions for readers in a straightforward approach that busy professionals will appreciate. The final section expands on various meditational practices for students and is a strong conclusion to a no-nonsense book designed to promote improved science learning through strategic and purposeful approaches to reading. This is a welcome resource for practicing teachers looking to collaborate with colleagues across traditional disciplinary lines, as well as for teachers in training looking to build a repertoire of successful instructional practices. Highly recommended.

• TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Reading this BookChapter 1: Reading in the Middle GradesIntroductionReading in Middle GradesReading Beyond Middle GradesLooking Back and AheadChapter 2: The Reading CycleIntroductionThe Reading CycleProficient Reading ActionsLooking Back and AheadChapter 3: Before Reading ActionsIntroduction: Before Reading Phase ActionsClarifying One’s Goal And PurposeGenerating ExpectationsActivating KnowledgeDeveloping KnowledgeLooking Back and AheadGrounding: Before Reading Phase ActionsChapter 4: During Reading Actions IIntroduction: During Reading Phase ActionsVisualizingReading FluentlyLooking Back and AheadGrounding: During Reading Phase ActionsChapter 5: During Reading Actions IIIntroduction: During Reading Phase ActionsReading for UnderstandingInferencingLooking Back and AheadGrounding: During Reading Phase ActionsChapter 6: During Reading Actions IIIIntroduction: During Reading Phase ActionsFormulatingBuilding CoherenceLooking Back and AheadGrounding: During Reading Phase ActionsChapter 7:After Reading ActionsIntroduction: After Reading Phase ActionsSummarizingReconfiguringAssessingClarifyingLooking Back and AheadGrounding: After Reading Phase ActionsChapter 8:Mediational PracticesIntroductionPreviously Showcased PracticesBefore Reading Mediational PracticesAfter Reading Mediational PracticesMulti-Phase Mediational PracticesSelection Guide and Further ReadingReferencesAbout the Author

Don K. Philpot is a teacher, teacher educator, and writer. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on the topics of instructional methodologies, content area reading, reading and writing instruction, and children’s literature in Pennsylvania.

Spanning the disciplines of science and language arts, this resource offers middle school teachers practical approaches to helping their students succeed as young learners. Grounded in the cyclical nature of reading as a complex undertaking, the overarching aim of this book is to enhance middle school students’ learning of science through reading. The first section introduces a reading cycle that focuses on student actions, such as activating knowledge, visualizing, and summarizing, which map to the three phases of reading that anchor this book (orienting, sustaining, and consolidating). The use of examples and concept maps ensure that this approach is conveyed in a clear and applicable manner. The following section, which comprises the bulk of this volume, presents essential actions for readers in a straightforward approach that busy professionals will appreciate. The final section expands on various meditational practices for students and is a strong conclusion to a no-nonsense book designed to promote improved science learning through strategic and purposeful approaches to reading. This is a welcome resource for practicing teachers looking to collaborate with colleagues across traditional disciplinary lines, as well as for teachers in training looking to build a repertoire of successful instructional practices. Highly recommended.

• TABLE OF CONTENTSAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Reading this BookChapter 1: Reading in the Middle GradesIntroductionReading in Middle GradesReading Beyond Middle GradesLooking Back and AheadChapter 2: The Reading CycleIntroductionThe Reading CycleProficient Reading ActionsLooking Back and AheadChapter 3: Before Reading ActionsIntroduction: Before Reading Phase ActionsClarifying One’s Goal And PurposeGenerating ExpectationsActivating KnowledgeDeveloping KnowledgeLooking Back and AheadGrounding: Before Reading Phase ActionsChapter 4: During Reading Actions IIntroduction: During Reading Phase ActionsVisualizingReading FluentlyLooking Back and AheadGrounding: During Reading Phase ActionsChapter 5: During Reading Actions IIIntroduction: During Reading Phase ActionsReading for UnderstandingInferencingLooking Back and AheadGrounding: During Reading Phase ActionsChapter 6: During Reading Actions IIIIntroduction: During Reading Phase ActionsFormulatingBuilding CoherenceLooking Back and AheadGrounding: During Reading Phase ActionsChapter 7:After Reading ActionsIntroduction: After Reading Phase ActionsSummarizingReconfiguringAssessingClarifyingLooking Back and AheadGrounding: After Reading Phase ActionsChapter 8:Mediational PracticesIntroductionPreviously Showcased PracticesBefore Reading Mediational PracticesAfter Reading Mediational PracticesMulti-Phase Mediational PracticesSelection Guide and Further ReadingReferencesAbout the Author