Direct Instruction Reading (3rd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable resource on effective reading instruction
Review: Direct Instruction Reading is a "must read" for any regular education or special education teacher of reading K-12. Newer teachers, frustrated because they are untrained in phonics instruction in a time when school districts are increasingly requiring them to effectively teach these skills will find this book a helpful source of reading instruction. Seasoned veteran teachers of reading who want to fine tune their instruction of both phonics and comprehension strategies will also come away with ideas and assessment that can be implemented in their classroom. Parents and school board members who have been closely following the reading debate will find this book answers many of their questions about what they should look for in effective reading instruction. Practical, research-based advice is jam-packed throughout the chapters which include sequenced sound and word lists and examples of how to incorporate content maps and other strategy guides into reading lessons. Not only do the authors specifically discuss and demonstrate how to teach phonics, how to teach vocabulary and language skills, and how to develop students' comprehension skills, but they also provide interesting and easily read chapters which discuss past and current research support for their recommendations. Direct Instruction Reading will also be valuable for middle school or high school teachers who are now expected to teach reading in addition to their subject area of science or social studies. Whenever I supervise student teachers who are expected to develop lesson plans in a content area, I have them base their lesson plans on the authors' suggestions for content area reading. The lesson plans provide such an excellent framework that that students in their classroom enthusiastically learn new vocabulary and key concepts, and the cooperating teachers are delighted with the end product. Besides presenting valuable guidance about the teaching of reading, Direct Instruction Reading also is a helpful source of information for those who have questions about Direct Instruction and what it involves. As the authors repeatedly stress throughout their book: "Reading failure can be prevented . . . by efficiently organizing instruction, carefully selecting and modifying reading material, and effectively presenting the material. Students will not only learn the reading competencies needed for success later in life, but they will also feel positive about their ability to function in society."

Rating:
Summary: Invaluable resource on effective reading instruction
Review: Direct Instruction Reading is a "must read" for any regular education or special education teacher of reading K-12. Newer teachers, frustrated because they are untrained in phonics instruction in a time when school districts are increasingly requiring them to effectively teach these skills will find this book a helpful source of reading instruction. Seasoned veteran teachers of reading who want to fine tune their instruction of both phonics and comprehension strategies will also come away with ideas and assessment that can be implemented in their classroom. Parents and school board members who have been closely following the reading debate will find this book answers many of their questions about what they should look for in effective reading instruction. Practical, research-based advice is jam-packed throughout the chapters which include sequenced sound and word lists and examples of how to incorporate content maps and other strategy guides into reading lessons. Not only do the authors specifically discuss and demonstrate how to teach phonics, how to teach vocabulary and language skills, and how to develop students' comprehension skills, but they also provide interesting and easily read chapters which discuss past and current research support for their recommendations. Direct Instruction Reading will also be valuable for middle school or high school teachers who are now expected to teach reading in addition to their subject area of science or social studies. Whenever I supervise student teachers who are expected to develop lesson plans in a content area, I have them base their lesson plans on the authors' suggestions for content area reading. The lesson plans provide such an excellent framework that that students in their classroom enthusiastically learn new vocabulary and key concepts, and the cooperating teachers are delighted with the end product. Besides presenting valuable guidance about the teaching of reading, Direct Instruction Reading also is a helpful source of information for those who have questions about Direct Instruction and what it involves. As the authors repeatedly stress throughout their book: "Reading failure can be prevented . . . by efficiently organizing instruction, carefully selecting and modifying reading material, and effectively presenting the material. Students will not only learn the reading competencies needed for success later in life, but they will also feel positive about their ability to function in society."

Rating:
Summary: Excellent for teachers, parents will want more guidance
Review: Direct Instruction Reading is a wonderful resource for teachers, really explaining how to effectively teach reading. Parents will probably read the book and then think . . . How am I going to do this? For parents I think the best option is Funnix (a Direct Instruction program for reading on the computer) or Teach Your Child to read in 100 Easy lessons. Both are written by Siegfried Engelmann, the author of almost all the Direct Instruction program.

Rating:
Summary: Research-based how-to-teach explicit, systematic phonics
Review: Direct Instruction Reading, gives away ALL the secrets of the designers of Reading Mastery, one of the most effective reading programs available today. The text gives ALL the details necessary to teach reading successfully. The text explains how to teach explicit, systematic phonics for beginning readers and why it is necessary. The text leads the reader through a comprehensive description of methods for every step in learning to read. From teaching how to sound out words, through learning irregular words, to fluent decoding and passage reading, the authors provide techniques of instruction all the way up to teaching children how to get the most from content-area textbooks. The text includes exactly the kind of information teachers need to be able to teach phonics, such as the most common sounds of letters, blends and sound combinations as well as how to teach students to blend, how to deal with irregular words, how to teach the magic "e" rule and countless other specifics. A comprehensive set of field-tested teaching scripts provide efficient and effective wording for teaching more than 36 common reading objectives - ranging the gamut from phonemic awareness skills to advanced story reading comprehension. Informed by years of teaching and supervising reading instruction this text has concrete suggestions for dealing with just about every problem a teacher might have in reading instruction- examples include how-to-tips for students who are not: blending sounds, paying attention, reading correctly, understanding vocabulary, reading with fluency, comprehending their reading, making adequate inferences, and so on. This book has been used as the text for the reading class in three universities in which I have taught. I have taught from it, and previous editions, for several years. I believe it is one of the most useful textbooks I have ever read. It truly teaches everything one needs to know about teaching reading. I give it my highest recommendation. Don Crawford, Ph.D. Western Washington University Department of Special Education I am responsible for the content of this message, which does not in any way reflect the position or policy of Western Washington University.

Rating:
Summary: Research-based how-to-teach explicit, systematic phonics
Review: Direct Instruction Reading, gives away ALL the secrets of the designers of Reading Mastery, one of the most effective reading programs available today. The text gives ALL the details necessary to teach reading successfully. The text explains how to teach explicit, systematic phonics for beginning readers and why it is necessary. The text leads the reader through a comprehensive description of methods for every step in learning to read. From teaching how to sound out words, through learning irregular words, to fluent decoding and passage reading, the authors provide techniques of instruction all the way up to teaching children how to get the most from content-area textbooks. The text includes exactly the kind of information teachers need to be able to teach phonics, such as the most common sounds of letters, blends and sound combinations as well as how to teach students to blend, how to deal with irregular words, how to teach the magic "e" rule and countless other specifics. A comprehensive set of field-tested teaching scripts provide efficient and effective wording for teaching more than 36 common reading objectives - ranging the gamut from phonemic awareness skills to advanced story reading comprehension. Informed by years of teaching and supervising reading instruction this text has concrete suggestions for dealing with just about every problem a teacher might have in reading instruction- examples include how-to-tips for students who are not: blending sounds, paying attention, reading correctly, understanding vocabulary, reading with fluency, comprehending their reading, making adequate inferences, and so on. This book has been used as the text for the reading class in three universities in which I have taught. I have taught from it, and previous editions, for several years. I believe it is one of the most useful textbooks I have ever read. It truly teaches everything one needs to know about teaching reading. I give it my highest recommendation. Don Crawford, Ph.D. Western Washington University Department of Special Education I am responsible for the content of this message, which does not in any way reflect the position or policy of Western Washington University.