Reading Beyond the Basics: Key Routines for Engaging, Research-Informed Instruction in Grades 2–6

by Catlin Goodrow

Teacher and literacy coach Catlin Goodrow offers research-informed strategies and personal reflections to help older elementary school students engage with complex, vocabulary-rich texts. Grounded in effective tools and routines, her approach focuses on the teacher-supported reading of worthy texts. Teachers will find practical resources, templates, and examples of lessons to foster student engagement, accelerate reading skills, and support ongoing literacy development.




Grades 2–6 classroom teachers, reading specialists, and literacy coaches

Shape literacy instruction around flexible principles versus prescribed programs of practice
Analyze and select texts that both foster literacy skills and encourage personal reflection
Develop literacy lesson structures that support students before, during, and after reading
Implement simple, reproducible exercises as grounding routines for reading engagement
Create safe learning environments where students can engage and explore their reading



Introduction

Part Preparing and Planning

Chapter 1: Five Guiding Principles

Chapter 2: Selecting and Evaluating Texts Worth Reading

Chapter 3: Analyzing Texts With Readers in Mind

Part Structuring Reading Lessons

Chapter 4: Before Reading

Chapter 5: During Reading

Chapter 6: After Reading

Part Conditions for Learning

Chapter 7: Classroom Culture for Growing Readers

Conclusion

References and Resources

Index

466 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2025

Reviews

[Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is transformative. The science of reading domain has been saturated with brilliant resources over the years. However, I’ve been quite overwhelmed with the information overload. “Reading Beyond the Basics” synthesizes all of the research and science of reading hot topics into a coherent, tangible, action based guide. When I finished this book I exhaled a sigh of relief - relief of having a high utility toolkit to transform my reading instruction. The burden of trying to piece together an evidence based curriculum is off my shoulders.