Teaching Reading in Middle School (Grades 5 & Up)

Rating:
Summary: Great Writing Activities that are Proven to Work
Review: As a new middle school book, I found this book to be very valuable, because Robbs confirms what skills I knew it took to be a good reader, but wasn't sure how to pass on to my students. The book is well orgainized and succinct. She briefly relates what the latest shows to be most effective skills needed improving reading performance and follows it up with activities based on the research. It is easy to read for the busy teacher. Moreover, it is very practical to use since, Robbs shows how it may be used in a 45 minute class session. In addition, the book is filled with reading recommendations, great for those like who are unfamiliar with young adult literature.

Rating:
Summary: There are much better books
Review: Linda Rief's Seeking Diversity and Nancie Atwell's In The Middle offered a great deal more that was helpful and insightful. This book had much less content - plenty of big print, lots of pictures and charts - and what was there was rather basic. Rief's book is better for concrete activities that kids will actually enjoy, and Atwell's book has a novel and solid philosophy that I think will offer more real guidance than any number of handouts on journal formats. I mainly used the book for some information on books that middle schoolers would like, but honestly other teachers and my own students had much more to tell me.

Rating:
Summary: There are much better books
Review: Linda Rief's Seeking Diversity and Nancie Atwell's In The Middle offered a great deal more that was helpful and insightful. This book had much less content - plenty of big print, lots of pictures and charts - and what was there was rather basic. Rief's book is better for concrete activities that kids will actually enjoy, and Atwell's book has a novel and solid philosophy that I think will offer more real guidance than any number of handouts on journal formats. I mainly used the book for some information on books that middle schoolers would like, but honestly other teachers and my own students had much more to tell me.

Rating:
Summary: Great Strategies for Middle School
Review: Robb does a great job of taking balanced reading strategies that work great at lower levels and adapting them to middle school reading. This book would be very helpful for anyone wanting new reading ideas. The title is a bit misleading--I can see upper elementary teachers as well as high school teachers finding something useful!

Rating:
Summary: Great Strategies for Middle School
Review: Robb does a great job of taking balanced reading strategies that work great at lower levels and adapting them to middle school reading. This book would be very helpful for anyone wanting new reading ideas. The title is a bit misleading--I can see upper elementary teachers as well as high school teachers finding something useful!

Rating:
Summary: Teaching Reading in Middle School
Review: The very best thing about Laura Robb's newest book is that after you read it, you don't feel you need to meet her. As I read, whenever I had a question,want to see an example, or wish that a checklist might be on the next page, there it was! After reading it you will have post-its on specific pages, feel organized and know that you have to have two copies, one for home and one for school. The book is perfectly organized. A short chapter on the research that shapes a middle school reading program, is followed by strategy lessons that go through the process of reading almost anything: before,during, and after reading. These chapters are prefaced by a most helpful chapter on what strategic reading looks like in middle school. The chapters after are on ways to connect students to books, cross grade projects and a wonderful chapter on assessment. The appendices are perfect! They hit the nail on the head from reading surveys to open ended discussion questions (by genre). This book is truly the answer to a middle school reading teachers prayers!

Rating:
Summary: Great for first timers that need to "get started"
Review: This is a good starter book for those diving into the world of teaching their first English class. The only downside to the book is it's small size format which makes reproducing some the pages look like you "shrunk" them down instead of them being full size. Easy reading on how to teach reading strategies. . . not how to teach students how to read.

Rating:
Summary: Great for first timers that need to "get started"
Review: This is a good starter book for those diving into the world of teaching their first English class. The only downside to the book is it's small size format which makes reproducing some the pages look like you "shrunk" them down instead of them being full size. Easy reading on how to teach reading strategies. . . not how to teach students how to read.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful
Review: This is a great book. I teach middle school reading intervention. I have used many of the techniques with my kids. The five finger rule for picking out a book that is at their reading level is very helpful. I also like the questions about reading.

Rating:
Summary: Helpful
Review: This is a great book. I teach middle school reading intervention. I have used many of the techniques with my kids. The five finger rule for picking out a book that is at their reading level is very helpful. I also like the questions about reading.