Synopses & Reviews
Review
"No one does a better job of describing a truly balanced approach to reading instruction than Michael Pressley, particularly with the new chapters on fluency, vocabulary, and writing. If I had only ten books on reading on my bookshelves, this would be one of them."--Michael F. Graves, PhD, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota
"After reading the third edition of this book, I knew that I had another valuable resource for my classroom. I was encouraged to find coverage of new aspects of reading instruction, including new research that is relevant to my students. Current instructional standards are reflected in the new chapters on fluency, vocabulary, and writing. I highly recommend this book to elementary teachers and special educators."--Sheri Louis, MA, Special Education Teacher, Westcott Junior High School, Westbrook, Maine
"Reading Instruction That Works, Third Edition, demonstrates once again how scholarship can inform instructional practice. With a keen analytical eye, Pressley takes disparate research findings and integrates them into a model of teaching children to read that goes well beyond the recommendations of the National Reading Panel. Moving thinking in the field forward, this third edition is an invaluable resource for both emerging scholars of literacy development and accomplished practitioners and researchers. The reader is left with an overarching sense of what is important: Pressley shows how effective literacy instruction begets engagement and how, as teachers learn to become excellent, 'they also seem to become agents of peace in children's lives.'"--Anne McGill-Franzen, PhD, Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education, and Reading Center, University of Tennessee "This book is a tremendous resource for teachers and principals in school districts across the country. It emphasizes research-based practice in a manner that supports the importance of balanced reading instruction. Ideal for teachers' book groups and district-wide staff development initiatives, the book is also an important reference for reading specialists and reading supervisors. School districts could avoid a lot of 'bandwagons' by making use of the wealth of research in this text."--Carol S. Beers, School of Education, College of William and Mary; former Superintendent, Williamsburg-James City County (Virginia) Public Schools
Review
"Pressley thoroughly defines and describes each type of instruction before showing how successful classrooms provide teacher support as children apply the skills they are learning."--Curriculum Connections"Definitely reader-and teacher-friendly....Pressley takes the reader into real classrooms and offers a fly-on-the-wall perspective of what is happening in both exceptional as well as typical classrooms. It is certainly an eye-opening, and ultimately encouraging, discussion. We strongly encourage you to get the book for yourself and spend some time reading and reflecting upon it. Highly recommended. A rock-solid and impressive work."--Education Oasis
Review
"Pressley thoroughly defines and describes each type of instruction before showing how successful classrooms provide teacher support as children apply the skills they are learning."--Curriculum Connections
Review
"This classic book works--and it works extremely well. The fourth edition provides today's teachers with the very best advice on how to teach children to read, drawing on validated instructional methods and presenting them in a balanced and thoughtful framework." --Steve Graham, EdD, Warner Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
"Allington has done a masterful job of integrating current literacy research into the fourth edition of Reading Instruction the Works. The new first chapter offers a historical perspective on literacy instruction that provides needed context for the remainder of the book. This is a 'must read' for students early in their graduate coursework in reading and/or special education, and also would be ideal for a 'teachers as readers' initiative in any school in the country. It is a wonderful synthesis of the best literacy practices, based on research, and is sure to provoke lively and thoughtful discussions in university classrooms and school districts."--Carol S. Beers, School of Education, EdD, College of William and Mary
Review
"A valuable resource of significant information and viewpoints about the nature of the reading act, the essential aspects of learning to read and of not learning to read, and the processes needed to transform reading education in our elementary schools today."--Teachers College Record (on the second edition)
Review
"This classic book works--and it works extremely well. The fourth edition provides today's teachers with the very best advice on how to teach children to read, drawing on validated instructional methods and presenting them in a balanced and thoughtful framework." --Steve Graham, EdD, Warner Professor, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University
"Allington has done a masterful job of integrating current literacy research into the fourth edition of Reading Instruction That Works. The new first chapter offers a historical perspective on literacy instruction that provides needed context for the remainder of the book. This is a 'must read' for students early in their graduate coursework in reading and/or special education, and also would be ideal for a 'teachers as readers' initiative in any school in the country. It is a wonderful synthesis of the best literacy practices, based on research, and is sure to provoke lively and thoughtful discussions in university classrooms and school districts."--Carol S. Beers, School of Education, EdD, College of William and Mary
"There is much to recommend about the fourth edition of Reading Instruction That Works. The authors understand readers, teachers, and the approaches to teaching that best foster reading development. Bringing different, but complementary, perspectives on reading instruction that makes a difference in students’ and teachers’ lives, they write with a combination of knowledge, insight, and passion that is all too rare. I cannot imagine reading this book and not coming away with new ideas and new enthusiasm for teaching."--Peter Afflerbach, PhD, Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership, University of Maryland at College Park
"Pressley originally envisioned this text as a ‘gateway to the literature on reading and reading instruction.' The book fulfilled this purpose in its prior editions and hits the mark once again in this updated fourth edition from Allington. Making a compelling case for teaching foundational components of reading by referencing research in an highly approachable manner, the book serves as a terrific conceptual overview as well as a practical resource. Whether used in an undergraduate course with future teachers or in a study group with current teachers, the book is a ‘must read.’ The fourth edition continues to foster informed thinking and discussion about productive word- and meaning-based reading instruction in the elementary grades."--Rachel Brown, PhD, Reading and Language Arts Center, Syracuse University
Synopsis
This widely adopted text provides a comprehensive guide to effective literacy instruction in the elementary grades. Distinguished scholar and educator Michael Pressley presents research-based, classroom-tested best practices for combining skills-based and whole-language approaches in the context of a highly motivating environment. The book explains the theoretical underpinnings of recommended strategies and techniques and shows how exemplary teachers actually put them into practice.
Synopsis
This widely adopted text provides a comprehensive guide to effective literacy instruction in the elementary grades. Distinguished scholar and educator Michael Pressley presents research-based, classroom-tested best practices for combining skills-based and whole-language approaches in the context of a highly motivating environment. The book explains the theoretical underpinnings of recommended strategies and techniques and shows how exemplary teachers actually put them into practice.
Synopsis
This widely adopted text and K-8 practitioner resource demonstrates how successful literacy teachers combine explicit skills instruction with an emphasis on reading for meaning. Distinguished researcher Richard L. Allington builds on the late Michael Pressley's work to explain the theories and findings that guide balanced teaching and illustrate what exemplary lessons look like in action. Detailed examples offer a window into highly motivating classrooms around the country. Comprehensive in scope, the book discusses specific ways to build word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, especially for readers who are struggling.
New to This Edition
*Updated throughout to reflect important recent research advances.
*Chapter summing up the past century's reading debates and the growing acceptance of balanced teaching.
*New and revised vignettes of exemplary teachers.
About the Author
Michael Pressley, PhD, was University Distinguished Professor, Director of the Doctoral Program in Teacher Education, and Director of the Literacy Achievement Research Center at Michigan State University. An expert on effective elementary literacy instruction, he was the author or editor of more than 300 journal articles, chapters, and books. Dr. Pressley was the recipient of the 2004 E. L. Thorndike Award (American Psychological Association, Division 15), the highest award given for career research accomplishment in educational psychology.
Table of Contents
Introduction to the Fourth Edition, Richard L. Allington
Introduction to the Third Edition, Michael Pressley
1. Skills Emphasis, Meaning Emphasis, and Balanced Reading Instruction: A Short History
2. Skilled Reading
3. Children Who Experience Problems in Learning to Read
4. Before Reading Words Begins
5. Learning to Recognize Words
6. Fluency
7. Vocabulary
8. Expert Literacy Teaching in the Primary Grades, with Ruth Wharton-McDonald
9. The Need for Increased Comprehension Instruction
10. Motivation and Literacy
11. Concluding Reflections
Appendix: Landmarks in Development of Literacy Competence (or, What Happens When)
Author Index
Subject Index