7 Mighty Moves: Research-Backed, Classroom-Tested Strategies to Ensure K-to-3 Reading Success

by Lindsay Kemeny

Overview

In this no-nonsense guide, primary reading expert and classroom teacher Lindsay Kemeny shares seven ways K–3 teachers can modify what they are currently doing to transform their reading instruction. Each chapter focuses on a critical area of foundational reading–from the most efficient ways to teach phonemic awareness and phonics to the most effective ways to boost comprehension. Kemeny clears up confusing terms and concepts and offers up  “do-tomorrow” strategies to help kids acquire reading skills efficiently and successfully transfer those skills to their reading. Readers will find the literacy routines and lessons Kemeny uses every day with her students detailed in the book, along with links to video demonstrations showing how she puts them into practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781339012087
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	07/20/2023
Series:	The Science of Reading in Practice
Pages:	160
Sales rank:	10,669
Product dimensions:	7.30(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Lindsay Kemeny, MS, is an elementary school teacher, speaker, writer, and podcast co-host with a passion for literacy and applying research to practice. After her son was diagnosed with dyslexia and depression, she began her deep dive into effective literacy instruction. She loves being in the classroom every day, teaching kids to read.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2023

This thoroughly researched book to help teach literacy to young students highlights seven important areas of primary reading. As for the title, "The moves represent changes I made in those areas after learning about effective reading instruction," the author states in the introduction. For example, educators can use decodable texts for early readers, instead of texts that are predictable. With decodable texts, there is a positive focus on actively learning to read, rather than using pictures or predictions to passively guess the words. Instead of extensive silent reading and instructing students in phonics through isolated lessons to enhance the ability of students to fluently read, Kemeny suggests that reading aloud through multiple methods and opportunities is a better strategy. Additionally, the author presents a different technique for "sight words." Instead of using cues from context or pictures for word decoding, educators can focus on correspondences between sound and spelling for the actual reading of words by students. Employing dry erase boards when teaching phonics is also offered as a useful and practical strategy to foster active learning. Although K—3 teachers will derive the greatest benefit from this work, it can also be of practical use to any reading teacher or elementary school librarian. VERDICT This book offers a variety of helpful and practical strategies that are easily implemented in any K—3 classroom, and will help all students to learn to read more effectively and with higher levels of fluency and comprehension.—Robert Babirad

School Library Journal