Proven methods for teaching reading comprehension to all students
The Literacy Cookbook is filled with classroom-tested techniques for teaching reading comprehension to even the most hard-to-reach students. The book offers a review of approaches that are targeted for teaching reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. The book also includes information on how to connect reading, writing, and test prep.
Contains accessible and easy-to-adopt recipes for strengthening comprehension, reading, writing, and oral fluency.
Terrific resources are ready for download on the companion website.
The materials in this book are aligned with the English Language Arts Common Core Standards
The website includes an ELA Common Core Tracking Sheet, a handy resource when writing or evaluating curriculum.
About the Author vii
Acknowledgments ix
Preface xv
Introduction 1
PART ONE Basic Ingredients
ONE Comprehension 7
What Is Comprehension, and Why Is It Important? 7
My Theory of Comprehension 7
Why Background Knowledge Is So Important 11
Key Critical Reading Skill 1: Paraphrasing 13
How Can You Teach Students How to Paraphrase? 14
Key Critical Reading Skill 2: Inference 22
Key Critical Reading Skill 3: Vocabulary in Context (and Vocabulary Instruction) 28
Key Critical Reading Skill 4: Inferring Main Idea or Argument (AKA Summarizing) 37
TLC Download Zone for Comprehension Process 43
TWO Reading 45
Decoding + Fluency and Comprehension = Reading 45
Nonfiction Versus Everything Else 47
Different Types of Readers 50
Independent and Guided Reading 52
Introduction to Reading Strategically 54
Before-Reading Strategies 54
During-Reading Strategies 59
Textbook Reading: How to Make Life Less Painful for Everyone Involved 70
How to Use the Teachers' Manual 72
The Truth About Textbook ''Reading'' Tests 74
After-Reading Strategies 74
Reading Workshop: Something to Consider 78
TLC Download Zone for Reading 79
THREE Writing 81
ReadWell toWriteWell 81
WhyWeWrite (and Read) 82
Punchy Insights, or How to Avoid Writing Like a Robot 84
A Simple Recipe forWriting Instruction 86
What Students StruggleWith the Most When They Write 88
Thesis Brainstorming and Organizing 92
Teaching with Mentor Texts 95
Writing Workshop 101 98
Motivational Grammar 102
Rubrics and How to Spend Less Time Grading 105
TLC Download Zone forWriting 112
FOUR Speaking and Listening 115
Why Oral Fluency Matters 115
How to Train Students to Listen and Speak Effectively 117
More Thoughts on Effective Speaking 121
Class Discussion Logistics 123
Socratic Seminars Made Easy 125
Book Talk Projects 136
TLC Downloads for Speaking and Listening 142
PART TWO Entrées
FIVE Tasty Persuasive Writing 145
The Concept of Persuasion 145
How to Prepare Students for PersuasiveWriting Tasks 146
SIX Reading, Writing, and Test Prep ''Stew'' 149
An Argument for Stew 149
Connecting Key Critical Reading Skills to Test Prep Instruction 150
Test Prep Tips 155
Connecting Writing to Reading Through Genre Study 159
Open-Ended Responses 161
SEVEN The Document-Based Question Approach 165
What Are DBQs, and Why Should Everyone Use Them? 165
Designing DBQs Across the Curriculum 166
EIGHT Research Paper Guide 169
Reading and the Research Paper 169
How to Avoid RPT (Research Paper Torture) 170
Two Sample Research Paper Assignments 171
Research Paper Teachers' Guide 177
NINE Teaching with Novels 191
Novels in English Language Arts: Literary Response PaperWriting Guide 191
Using Novels in History, Social Studies, and Science 202
PART THREE Desserts
TEN Recommended Reading 207
On Reading and Vocabulary 207
On Writing 208
On Curriculum and Instruction 209
On HowWe Think About Teaching, Learning, and Change 209
ELEVEN Appendix 211
Notes 219
Index 231
