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Rating: 
Summary: Great Resource!
Review: The research is clear concerning the importance and value of independent reading. Whether it is referred to as DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) or SSR (Silent Sustained Reading, independent reading helps develop the reader's fluency, vocabulary, and background knowledge (or schema.)There are many ways a teacher can approach independent reading. One year, for example, I devoted Fridays strictly to independent reading. No writing nor talking was allowed. We simply plopped on the floor, on pillows, or in chairs and read silently. I read along with my students. While we did share what we had read the last few minutes of class time, we did not engage in using dialogue or reading journals. Another year, my students kept reading logs as they read. Regardless of the approach, most of the students enjoyed "reading day." They would race into the room in order to have the first pick from the many books I had displayed for them around the room. Last year I came across Robb's book in a local Barnes and Noble. Looking through all the "interactive strategy sheets," I wondered if I could incorporate them into my independent reading day. The answer, I found, was yes. The students did not balk at the idea of completing a graphic organizer while they read---something I had feared. They used the sheets to monitor their progress as well as to apply the reading strategies I had explicitly taught them during the week. The students appeared more engaged, and our time spent on independent reading seemed more purposeful. I did not grade the sheets per say, I simply put a gold star on them if the student completed it. In addition, I used the sheets as another means of assessment. There are 50 sheets which can be used with various types of text---poetry, historical and realistic fiction, and newspapers. Included are forms for: making personal connections, questioning the reader, synthesizing information, paraphrasing, and more.
Rating:
Summary: Very Teacher Friendly Workbook
Review: This is a great resource for teachers who are working to improve their student's reading skills. It has many of the worksheets that I would like to have time to create for myself -- but don't have time to! I highly recommend this book!
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