Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools: Five Simple-to-Follow Strategies

by Elaine K. McEwan-Adkins

Overview

This second edition enhances the "five big ideas" for raising reading achievement with seven cognitive strategies and more than twenty "teaching for learning" tips for daily instruction.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781412924344
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Publication date:	10/05/2006
Edition description:	Second Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Elaine K. Mc Ewan is an educational consultant with The Mc Ewan-Adkins Group, offering professional development for educators to assist them in meeting the challenges of literacy learning in Grades Pre K-6. A former teacher, librarian, principal, and assistant superintendent for instruction in several suburban Chicago school districts, Elaine is the award-winning and best-selling author of more than three dozen books for educators. Her Corwin Press titles include Raising Reading Achievement in Middle and High Schools: Five Simple-to-Follow Strategies for Principals, Second Edition (2006), Seven Strategies of Highly Effective Readers: Using Cognitive Research to Boost K-8 Achievement (2004), Ten Traits of Highly Effective Principals: From Good to Great Performance (2003), Making Sense of Research: What’s Good, What’s Not, and How to Tell the Difference (2003), Seven Steps to Effective Instructional Leadership, Second Edition (2003), Teach Them ALL to Read: Catching the Kids Who Fall through the Cracks (2002), and Ten Traits of Highly Effective Teachers: How to Hire, Mentor, and Coach Successful Teachers (2001).

Mc Ewan was honored by the Illinois Principals Association as an outstanding instructional leader, by the Illinois State Board of Education with an Award of Excellence in the Those Who Excel Program, and by the National Association of Elementary School Principals as the National Distinguished Principal from Illinois for 1991. She received her undergraduate degree in education from Wheaton College and advanced degrees in library science (MA) and educational administration (Ed D) from Northern Illinois University.

Table of Contents

List of Teaching for Learning Tips
Preface
A Change in Focus
The Goals of This Book
Who This Book Is For
What This Book Is Not
Overview of the Contents
A New Feature
The Challenge
Acknowledgments
About the Author
1. Reading Achievement: Where Do We Stand?
Raising Achievement Expectations
The State of Reading Achievement in the Nation
The Response of Educators
The State of Reading Achievement in the States
Roadblocks to Raising Achievement in Middle and High Schools
The Responsibility of School Leaders
Reflection and Discussion Questions
2. Focus on Changing What You Can Change
Change the Educational Paradigm
Change How Goals Are Set
Change How Teachers Teach
Change the Curriculum and How It Is Chosen
Change the Alignment of the Curriculum
Change the Amount of Time Allocated to Reading Instruction
Change Where Strategic Reading Instruction Is Provided
Change How Learning Is Assessed
Change Expectations for Students
Change How Professional Development Is Provided
Reflection and Discussion Questions
3. Teach the Students Who Can’t Read How to Read
How Children Learn to Read: A Short Lesson
Failing to Learn
Programs to Remediate Struggling Secondary Students
Find the Students in Special Education Who Can’t Read and Teach Them to Read
Reflection and Discussion Questions
4. Teach Every Student How to Read to Learn
Reading to Learn and Cognitive Strategies
The Strategic Teacher
How to Teach Cognitive Strategies
Reading to Learn and Vocabulary Development
Reading to Learn and Knowledge Acquisition
How We Can Engage More Students in Reading to Learn
Cognitive Strategy Instruction at Alief Hastings High School
Reflection and Discussion Questions
5. Motivate Every Student to Read in the Zone
The Value of Reading a Lot
Reading in the Zone
The Importance of Reading Challenging Fiction and Nonfiction
The Importance of Accountability
Motivating Students to Read a Lot
Engaging Students in Reading
Skills to Read With Confidence and Success
Reflection and Discussion Questions
6. Create a Reading Culture in Your School
Pay Attention to the Basic Beliefs and Core Values of Stakeholders
Determine What Needs to Be Changed
Identify the Roadblocks to Change
Hire a Strong (Assertive) Instructional Leader
Hold Everyone Accountable
Make a Plan
Don’t Forget the Parents and Kids
Assess for Learning
Press Academically and Be Instructionally Tenacious
Getting the Job Done at Griffin Middle School
Reflection and Discussion Questions
Resource A. Assessment Tools
Resource A.1: Prereading Assessment Form
Resource A.2: Prereading Assessment Key
Resource A.3: Postreading Assessment Form
Resource A.4: Postreading Assessment Key
Resource B. Programs for Learning to Read in Secondary School
Benchmark Program
Corrective Reading
Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)
Language!®
Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes
Reading Is FAME
Reasoning and Writing
REWARDS (Reading Excellence: Word Attack and Rate Development Strategies)
The Spalding Method
Spelling Through Morphographs
Resource C. Creating a Strong Reading Culture: A Process Exercise
Description
Application
Time Required
Materials
Administration Directions
References
Index

Editorial Reviews

"Provides a compelling case for strategies and goals based upon research and student achievement. The author offers real school case studies and the goals are clear and understandable. "

Rosemarie Young

"Offers a reinforcing translation of available results into a practical guide that motivates school administrators and teachers to put research findings into actions."

July 2007 PsycCRITIQUES

"Offers a reinforcing translation of available results into a practical guide that motivates school administrators and teachers to put research findings into actions. "

July 2007 Psyc CRITIQUES

"The book is based on 20 research-based reading strategies, incorporating these into a teacher's daily curriculum and routines and helping teachers with students who can't seem to learn to read. A 'must-have' reference."

California Bookwatch

"Makes a distinct contribution to the field and should be mandatory reading for each and every building principal for every middle, junior high, and high school in the United States. "

Erin Rivers

"Offers a reinforcing translation of available results into a practical guide that motivates school administrators and teachers to put research findings into actions. "

Psyc CRITIQUES: Contemporary Psychology