Teaching Reading

Rachel L. McCormack, EdD, is Associate Professor of Literacy Education at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading and writing methods and children’s literature. She is a frequent presenter at national conferences; her research interests include strategies for improving comprehension, literature discussions, and teaching reading to children with hearing disabilities. Susan Lee Pasquarelli, EdD, is Professor of Literacy Education at Roger Williams University in Bristol, Rhode Island. For the past 3 years, she has been conducting research in urban classrooms on using multicultural literature to teach children in grades 1-6 about tolerance and diversity. Dr. Pasquarelli teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in reading and writing methods and adolescent literature.

"An excellent introduction to good elementary literacy instruction. This will be a great text for preservice methods courses and inservice study groups for beginning teachers. The many graphic organizers and activities throughout each chapter make the content easily accessible. Photographs, classroom anecdotes, and scenarios help contextualize the practices within real classrooms. There is much in this text to support novice teachers' understandings of best practice in elementary literacy instruction."--Carol A. Donovan, PhD, Director, Belser–Parton Literacy Center, University of Alabama "This is a rich resource for the next generation of strategic, reflective teachers of reading. The authors masterfully weave seminal research with practical, classroom-tested applications. Ideal for undergraduate or graduate courses, this highly interactive text also has a place outside the classroom as a powerful resource for thoughtful self-study and professional growth. Teachers of all levels of experience will gain clarity on how to choose learning activities that will engage students and move them forward as real-life readers and writers."--Michelle Carney, MA, Title I reading specialist, Atlantis Charter School, Fall River, Massachusetts "McCormack and Pasquarelli provide a comprehensive tour of K-6 reading, covering foundations, instruction, and assessment. In addition to a host of well-grounded strategies, the authors situate reading instruction within the context of vibrant, print-rich classrooms that integrate quality literature across the curriculum. Strong linkages between reading and writing are demonstrated through a wealth of examples of children's work. This practical text will be welcomed by literacy students and classroom practitioners alike."--Patricia A. Crawford, PhD, Department of Instruction and Learning, University of Pittsburgh -

• 1. Investigating Our Own Literacy: What Makes a Good Teacher of Reading?2. Creating a Literacy-Rich Classroom Environment3. Developing Foundations for Fluent Readers: Phonological/Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, and Fluency4. Cultivating Children’s Curiosity for Words: Teaching Vocabulary5. Preparing Strategic Readers: Teaching Reading through Cognitive Strategy Instruction6. Helping Children to Construct Meaning: “Good-Reader†Comprehension Strategies7. Teaching Expository Text across the Curriculum 8. Appreciating Children’s Literature: Teaching the Language of Narrative Text9. Supporting Children’s Voices: Response to Literature through Writing10. Creating a Culturally Responsive Classroom Community11. Assessing Children’s Reading Development: Part 1. Motivation, Phonological/Phonemic Awareness, Word Identification, and Fluency12. Assessing Children’s Reading Development: Part 2. Vocabulary, Comprehension, and Reader Response13. Viewing Ourselves as Professional Teachers of ReadingAppendix A. The Most Common Phonetic Elements and the Most Common Onsets and RimesAppendix B. Second-Grade Sample Reading Performance Assessment