curriculum. New York, NY: Pearson.
As part of the What Really Matters series, this book focuses on the rising interest in fluency research. Richard Allington feels that although educators know that fluency is important in the reading development process, they may not have a good understanding of what fluency entails. Because of this, Allington uses plain and basic language to outline the current research on developing and assessing student fluency. Although most students have no need for fluency based instruction, some students struggle to develop into fluent readers after they have achieved the ability to read accurately. It is for this reason that educators need to familiarize themselves with fluency practices and assessment ideas that can be incorporated into daily reading lessons.
Altwerger, B., Jordan, N., & Shelton, N. R. (2007). Rereading fluency: Process, practice, and
policy. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
According to Richard Allington (2007), “Rereading fluency: Process, practice, and policy is an important and timely book” (vii). The book discusses a number of challenges to the dominant model of reading instruction and development, including utilizing commercialized reading programs to measure reading rate as good reading. These challenges came about after the analysis of data gathered in various schools and classrooms. Such challenges are not the only ones being raised about current methodology used to teach reading. The findings presented in the book are supported by a variety of other studies readily available.
Atwell, N. (1998). In the middle: New understandings about writing, reading, and learning.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Atwell’s text In The Middle is primarily based around the use of authentic reading, strategies and, skills. Going against the traditional ideas of skill and drill methods, these authentic ideas include the use of many different open-ended and student-based activities that aim to motivate students by recognizing what is meaningful to students. Being student-centered, this thought process is based around the premise that the teaching in the classroom should be responsive, not the learning.
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2009). The CAFE book: Engaging all students in daily literacy
assessment & instruction. Portland, Me: Stenhouse Publishers.
The CAFE Book presents to the modern educator a plethora of skills, techniques, and ideas that allow educators to implement meaningful daily readings and assessments in their classrooms. Based on research that looks at skilled readers, the CAFE system is an acronym for Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding vocabulary. Through the setting of goals in individual meetings, the teacher is able to set up small-group instruction based around similar goals. Also, the teacher is able to create whole group instruction based around what the class needs as a whole.
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006). The daily 5: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary
grades. Portland, Me: Stenhouse Publishers.
Boushey and Moser’s text The Daily Five provides a set of five literacy tasks students can choose to engage in daily. These tasks, which include reading to self, reading with someone, word work, writing, and listening to reading, are completed by students while, at the same time, the teacher is afforded the time to meet with individuals and/or small groups. Along with providing to the reader a justification and explanation for the use of The Daily Five, this text also reveals how to educate students to use these methods on a daily basis.
Fresch, M. (2007). An essential history of current reading practices. Newark, DE:
International Reading Association.
This text provides a complete overview of reading practices and how those practices have evolved throughout history. In the late 1700s, oral reading was highly valued in classrooms due to the value placed on entertainment and the sharing of information. Beginning in the early 1900s, the focus shifted from valuing pronunciation and inflection while reading orally to the understanding of the written word while reading silently. At this time, a wide range of reading material was becoming available, such as magazines, newspapers, and even instructional materials. With a rise in the study of cognitive psychology in the 1960s, new understandings about fluency emerged. Recent studies have shown that fluency is a critical skill that must be obtained in order to be able to read effectively and efficiently. Many current fluency practices include modeling fluent reading, assisted reading, and phrase-cued reading. By modeling fluent reading, teachers can demonstrate how an “expert” reader reads with emotion, expression, and at a comfortable pace. Assisted reading strategies include read alouds, shared reading, paired reading, and buddy reading. Finally, phrase-cued reading refers to lessons in which the teacher models grouping phrases by scooping phrases on an overhead projector or SMART Board. By scooping phrases, the teacher demonstrates where pauses naturally occur in texts.
Gallagher, K. (2009). Readicide: How schools are killing reading and what you can do about
it. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
The current system centered around literacy education is primarily based around testing. Multiple-choice tests, short essays, and document-based tests are just a few of the weapons that Gallagher believes is killing reading in school. Gallagher’s Readicide provides to readers a critical look at our current way of teaching reading in our schools. Through this critical eye, he is able to point out the faults of the system but also he is able to provide a series of steps educators can take in order to improve and increase authentic reading in their classrooms. He also provides to educators examples of “good tests” that challenge students knowledge along with examples of “bad tests” that are currently being implemented.
Meyer, R. J., & Whitmore, K. F. (2011). Reclaiming reading: Teachers, students, and
researchers regaining spaces for thinking and action. New York, NY: Routledge.
Reclaiming reading provides educators with a look at literacy education from an alternative point of view. Radical because of it’s views against the commercialized reading programs of today and the multitude of government intervention and mandates, this text allows readers to view a variety of strategies that are effective in their use as they help reach standards, but stay true to the “five pillars” essential to teaching and learning reading. Through these pillars (learning, teaching, curriculum, language, and sociocultural contexts), educators are allowed to revisit knowledge that was pushed aside by governmental and commercial ideas, the main idea that the teachers role as a reflective, knowledgeable, and professional decision maker. Through this, educators are able to once again bring these thoughts and ideas to the forefront of the classroom.
Opitz, M. F., & Razinski, T.V. (1998). Good-bye round robin: Twenty-five effective oral reading
strategies. Portsmouth: NH, Heinemann.
This book discusses the importance of oral reading and the significant value in using oral reading strategies. According to Opitz and Rasinski oral reading is so important that it must only be used in ways that are both effective and efficient. The purpose of this book is to show teachers how to say good-bye to round robin reading and use better strategies in their classrooms. Some of the strategies that Optiz and Rasinski recommend are poetry club, paired reading, and readers theatre, to name a few. Through the use of these strategies, educators are able to break free of the monotony of round robin and use a variety of oral based strategies that allow students more freedom in their learning.
Tovani, C. (2000). I read it, but I don’t get it: Comprehension strategies for adolescent
readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
The majority of literacy education texts are centralized around the elementary arena. However, I Read It, But I Don’t Get It focuses primarily on the area of adolescent literacy education. Through a series of anecdotes from actual adolescent readers, Tovani provides a series of strategy she and several other educators have implemented in their own classrooms with great success. From helping students who have mastered “fake reading” to providing college bound students tips and strategies for working with difficult texts, this book provides a variety of useful and practical strategies to help the adolescent educator.
