Annotated Bibliography of Reading Education Trade Books

Introduction

This bibliography reviews ten trade books that teachers can use in the classroom for readers at or below grade level. Each entry contains a review and description of how the book can be used for both the beginning reader and the advanced reader.

Comprehension Strategies and Content-Area Literacy

Beers, S. (2003). Reading strategies for the content area. ASCD. 386 pages.

In this work, the author provides information that will assist teachers who attempt to structure their students' thinking when reading simple or complex materials. The objective of the book is to provide educators with the information they need to teach students how to process information in a contextual manner. Students are encouraged to utilize reading assignments by applying the various reading tools presented in the book, which help organize students' thinking and allow them to understand and comprehend the meaning of reading assignments from both objective and subjective vantage points.

This work is important because it stimulates students' interest in processing information and subsequently applying it in a real-life setting. The author designed the material in an easy-to-use manner, so teachers can select one or all of the tools to train students when tackling reading comprehension questions or assignments. The work also encourages teachers to challenge students through reading assignments whose content the reader can understand. Reading assignments should focus on comprehension and fluency, as these are skills that will benefit both the beginning reader and the advanced reader. The more complex the reading, the more challenged the student will be to formulate conclusions or solutions to problems presented in the text.

Harrison, C., & Coles, M. (2001). The reading for real handbook. London: Routledge Farmer.

In this guide, the authors discuss current debates about the way teachers should approach and teach reading to beginning and advanced learners. It addresses literacy in the content areas and suggests that the issues presented are intended not to inspire debate about the best reading methods, but rather to encourage educators to adopt a unified view of how reading can be best utilized in the classroom. The authors note that they want to promote "a balanced approach to methodology" by moving away from notions of "good" and "bad" methods and instead focusing on what is "useful" in the classroom (p. 4). They also emphasize how important it is for teachers to build strong relationships with their students, because these relationships allow educators to better understand each child's unique learning needs and address them appropriately.

The work is not "a storybook approach" or a book "solely for those who make use of schemes," but rather a book that emphasizes literature, "meaning-making," and encourages teachers to create an environment where children enjoy reading and learning to read. It suggests teachers address the reading process, the "place of good books" in any reading program, "hearing children read," and even strategies that involve parents in children's learning.

The authors are also among the first to bring into focus the "reading-writing connection" and discuss reading across multiple curricula, suggesting that bilingual readers — as well as readers who find comprehension difficult — could benefit from this approach (p. 3). The goals of the work include providing an authoritative assessment of theories that "underpin reading" and the "teaching of reading," along with "practical guidance" that allows teachers to implement these theories in the classroom regardless of students' skill levels (p. 3). The authors also want to explain why certain theories work and others do not, so that educators using the book will "reflect on their own classroom practice." Self-reflection questions are included throughout to encourage teachers to consider their own attitudes and what approaches would and would not work for them personally as they promote reading to students with varying levels of ability.

Kamil, M. L., Mosenthal, P. B., Pearson, D., & Barr, R. (2000). Handbook of reading research, Vol. 3. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

This is a modern trade book for educators interested in learning about diversity and global changes that have affected reading strategies used by educational institutions around the world. The work begins with a lengthy discourse on the historical foundations of reading — including a discussion of reading among early colonial settlements in the United States and hypotheses about the reading habits of people during the Stone Age — providing educators with a better understanding of how primary research and reading theories used today came about.

While the authors sought to provide continuity with previous works on reading methodologies and strategies for beginning readers and to promote literacy in content areas, they highlight historical theories that teachers can still apply in the modern classroom. The authors encourage educators to teach beginning and advanced readers how to stop, pause, and contemplate questions such as "how do we think" and "what do we value" when reading (p. x). When readers do this, according to the authors, they are more likely to apply what they learn in the classroom to real-life situations, making reading comprehension less of a chore and more of a journey toward discovery.

The authors also discuss the importance of developing diverse strategies in the classroom. They believe educators should attempt to change the strategies and approaches they use to engage beginning readers on a daily or weekly basis, so that students retain more information and motivation for learning remains fresh. Such strategies would also promote continuing education for the teacher, since the teacher is the primary person responsible for promoting excellence in reading and reading comprehension. Students are encouraged to think in terms of "what is possible" (p. x) rather than focusing on the difficulties of reading or their own perceived shortcomings. The guidebook also calls on teachers to encourage students to tap into their imaginations and collaborate on new options for better comprehension — options that "never before existed" (p. x). The information and research in this guide can best be described as cutting edge.

Shared Reading and Collaborative Approaches

Mooney, M. (2000). Read it again! Revisiting shared reading. Stenhouse Publishers.

This book discusses how teachers can use shared reading to help students develop their own unique strategies for reading and reading comprehension. Multiple comprehension examples and shared reading strategies are presented, all of which promote learning through a group format. Children who are having difficulty reading often enjoy working alongside peers at or below their own skill level. In a classroom where students are at or just below grade-level reading, this book encourages collaboration to meet classroom goals.

Children can select their own groups, or teachers can assign students to rotating groups each week. A text can be selected from a teacher-prepared list. Each group then chooses the text they want to read and reviews it together in a shared environment. Each student takes turns reading the text and then offers other group members a synopsis of how the reading relates to their own life or to life more broadly. Other members can then build on that contribution, expanding the range of meanings the group draws from the book.

Advanced learners can also participate in and benefit from shared reading. The material they choose to review may be more advanced in nature; however, teachers can use this book to demonstrate the value of creating "mixed" groups, where advanced learners and those at or below average reading level come together. The advanced learner can help beginning readers by sharing the tools and strategies he or she uses to comprehend complex sentences and derive meaning from a text. This concept has become increasingly popular as educators look for innovative ways to make reading fun and engaging. Students may find that one or more strategies work best for them and can then apply those strategies independently in other courses or real-life situations that require reading comprehension.