Books by Burke, by Gallagher, by Forsten, Grant, and Hollas, and by Irvin, Buehl, and Radcliffe

Illuminating Texts: How to Teach Students to Read the World by Jim Burke (Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH, 2001)

According to Jim Burke, "This book is about teaching students what they need to know and be able to do: read a range of texts in various ways for different purposes." Textbooks are among the multiple texts addressed by Burke. Others include the Internet, tests, literature, information, and images. After discussing the challenges of today's textbooks, which Burke calls "five pound textual labyrinths," he considers how we can better use them in the classroom. Many of the same skills required for Internet reading also apply to reading textbooks, with pages so loaded with various elements that they resemble collages. Teachers will find extensive lists of the features commonly found in textbooks and the skills necessary to negotiate the texts successfully. Along with offering research-based strategies for reading textbooks, Burke emphasizes that they should be used only as one part of active teaching and learning in the classroom. He poses twenty challenging questions for teachers to ask themselves about the textbooks and adds rich ideas for projects and conversations that will also involve students in thinking critically about them. A companion website features PDF files useful for helping learners navigate textbooks and take better notes as well as many links to additional sites referenced by Burke.

Twenty Questions Homework (DVD) by Kelly Gallagher (Stenhouse, Portland, ME, 2006)

Limited instructional time makes it essential for students to do out-of-class reading in the texts they are studying. Kelly Gallagher asserts that academic homework should not be busy work; it should, instead, drive instruction. In this professional development DVD, we see in action his alternative to having students read assigned pages to answer teacher-generated questions. While developing twenty questions of their own during a "first-draft" reading at home, students learn that some confusion is normal, even for good readers. Creating questions requires that they focus and read closely. The next day, by monitoring small-group conversations, Gallagher assesses what students understood or failed to understand and decides how to proceed with his follow-up instruction. The 10- to 15-minute DVD could be used along with the compact workshop guide to foster discussion about designing worthwhile literacy homework assignments. Gallagher even offers suggestions for managing the grading load that can result from written homework assignments.

Differentiating Textbooks: Strategies to Improve Student Comprehension by Char Forsten, Jim Grant, and Betty Hollas (Crystal Springs Books, Peterborough, NH, 2003)

This book's guiding motto is "Teach the student, not the textbook!" The authors believe, however, that much can be done to help all students comprehend even the driest of textbooks, and they provide the resources to do it. With an emphasis on creating independent learners through modeling and guided practice, the chapters spotlight strategies to use before, during, and after reading. What makes this book especially appealing is the 8- by 11-inch format. Each active reading strategy is described in one colorful page and accompanied by a graphic to help teachers envision how the tool can be implemented. There are specific suggestions for how to effectively adapt textbooks to make information more accessible. Content-area teachers can see at a glance an explanation of the strategy, the materials needed, and all directions. The appendix supplies useful reproducibles such as math equivalent cards for creating random groupings and a textbook adaptation plan for use with students who need accommodations. The appendix also includes lists of products, supplies, adaptive services, organizations, and websites. Any teacher who uses textbooks will find eighty immediately applicable ways to engage students and strengthen comprehension.

Strategies to Enhance Literacy and Learning in Middle School Content Area Classrooms (3rd ed.) by Judith L. Irvin, Douglas R. Buehl, and Barbara J. Radcliffe (Pearson, Boston, 2007)

Using six revealing metaphors such as "ping pong reading" and "freeloading and first down punting," the authors demonstrate the symptoms of ineffective literacy learning in middle school. They also describe the frustrations of teachers whose students are not learning from their reading. Since textbooks predominate in middle school, the authors stress that special attention must be paid to teaching students to be effective users of them. Ideas for explicit instruction in expository text structure include a variety of graphic organizers and a sequence for their use. Also provided are a text previewing guide, paragraph frames, and the "double S" system for using signal words to indicate text structure. To encourage active involvement in textbook reading, there are directions for constructing study guides such as the interactive reading guide and a cooperative textbook activity guide (TAG). The "User-Friendly Text Analysis" is supplied to help educators evaluate and select textbooks. Newly revised, this comprehensive resource on middle school literacy integrates current research, illustrative vignettes, and suggestions for addressing the needs of English language learners into the numerous examples of literacy strategies that can be used in any content area. The final chapter provides a concise overview of the characteristics of high-quality assessments and how they can be used to drive instruction. All chapters include an extending learning section that would be particularly beneficial to those using this text in a professional development setting.

Sheila Cantlebary is a reading content specialist at the Ohio Resource Center. As a former teacher in Columbus Public Schools, she taught English, language arts, and reading (7—12), served as a K—12 English language arts coordinator, and was a teacher in the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow program. Her teaching experience also includes facilitating State Institute for Reading Instruction and English Language Arts Academy sessions.

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