Synopses & Reviews
A contemporary thematic reader, JOINING A COMMUNITY OF READERS offers a holistic approach to developing reading skills and building schema. It maintains a constant focus on key skills while providing ample practice with shorter and longer readings. The real-life context for skill instruction engages students as they are able to stay with a single theme throughout each instructive unit. The authors' PRO reading strategy (Prepare to Read, Read Actively and Reflect, and Organize to Learn) places an emphasis on pre-reading, active reading, and post-reading activities throughout the text and gets students applying the skills in the context of the reading process. Significant attention is given to vocabulary skills and finding the main idea and support.
Review
"The visual appeal is one of the strengths of this textbook. The students in the photographs are very diverse and representative of my students."
Review
"We plan to continue using this text. I think it is the most interesting text for developmental readers, offering thoughtful and challenging readings and more than adequate exercises that require literal, inferential, and critical thinking. Students must go beyond multiple choice."
About the Author
Dr. Roberta Alexander has taught Reading, Composition, Literature, Chicano Studies, and Black Studies as well as English as a Second Language courses for the San Diego Community College District since 1974. In that time she has served as Department Chair of English at San Diego City College as well as Academic Senate President. She is the author of a series of college reading textbooks.
Table of Contents
"The factor that most influenced the adoption of this textbook was the holistic approach to reading vs. a skills-based approach. I like the way the book is organized. Students are able to find concepts and support. We like using this textbook." "The visual appeal is one of the strengths of this textbook. The students in the photographs are very diverse and representative of my students." "We plan to continue using this text. I think it is the most interesting text for developmental readers, offering thoughtful and challenging readings and more than adequate exercises that require literal, inferential, and critical thinking. Students must go beyond multiple choice."