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Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning
In this 2nd edition of Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning, Mike Schmoker extends and updates the case that our schools could be on the cusp of swift, unparalleled improvements. But we are stymied by a systemwide failure to simplify and prioritize; we have yet to focus our limited time and energy on the most essential, widely acknowledged, evidence-based practices that could have more impact than all other initiatives combined. They simple, coherent curricula; straightforward, traditional literacy practices; and lessons built around just a few hugely effective elements of good teaching. As Schmoker demonstrates, the case for these practices—and the need for them—has grown prodigiously. In every chapter, you'll find late-breaking discoveries and practical advice on how to simplify the implementation of new state standards in the subject areas; on the hidden pitfalls of our most popular, but unproven instructional fads and programs; and on simple, versatile strategies for building curriculum, planning lessons, and integrating literacy into every discipline. All of these strategies and findings are supported with exciting new evidence from actual schools. Their success confirms, as Michael Fullan writes, that a focus on the best "high-leverage practices" won't only improve student performance; they will produce "stunningly powerful consequences" in our schools.
310 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2014
21 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
March 3, 2021
I know many other teachers found this quite enlightening but I didn’t learn as much from it as I was hoping to. I do agree with the authors essential message that simpler is better and that we need to focus on giving kids ample opportunities to read and talk about what the reading and be able to write about it and state their opinions.
March 19, 2024
This is a tough read at times but has great information schools need to implement immediately.
May 7, 2024
A professional development book for teachers that clearly lays out the qualities of effective lessons. Mike Schmoker is old-school and tells it like it is.
September 25, 2020
This has been one of the best, most practical, research based, educator friendly school improvement text I’ve ever read. The author advocates for a simplified set of standards for instruction focusing efforts on mastery instead of a standards checklist. This text should be a staple of educator and administration preparation programs worldwide. The idea that good teaching is good teaching flows through this book with a mighty power. Simply put, focus on educating children instead of educational fads and trends!
April 28, 2025
This is my second time reading this book and it honestly enraged me. I ended up hate reading it for my class. Mike Schmoker had great intentions. Stating that students should read and write more in every class is true. We as teachers also need to make sure that we prioritize and clarify what we need/ want students to do, especially when facing fads that come and go within teaching.
However, Schmoker's book is not clear nor does it prioritize what he wants to get across. He spends 112 pages just talking through returning to traditional methods. He contradicts himself multiple times and makes statements that floored me:
“In the hands of our best teachers, the effects of poverty and institutional racism melt away.” (p. 54) [while this is a great sentiment, this also means that basically both poverty and racism is ignored by those teachers. Poverty and racism are a part of our student's lives and we cannot make it melt away or forget that they face these things every day]
“Our Profession has never been driven by evidence, but instead by ‘whims, fads, opportunism and ideology.’” (p.55) [this is disheartening to think that no one out there has used the research to lead schools to success. If this was actually the case, he would not have data or evidence for this book.]
“But it goes further, insisting that teachers customize both curricular materials and instruction around a number of factors: the students (often self-diagnosed and self-prescribed) “learning style,” cultural background, interest, hobbies, and activities. . .. None of it is proven.”(p. 80)
“And they will never participate in frequent, stimulating discussions of these works, followed by writing, all in response to simple, compelling question that can be used or varied for almost any work of literature—questions about character, culture, and theme. . .” (p.134)
The last two quotes contradict each other as one calls for us to ignore our students, their culture, and interest while then saying we should analyze culture and theme while we read. It contradicts what he is asking teachers to look at. This also disconnects students from what we teach. If students cannot connect to what we are teaching, they will disengage and not learn the skills we are trying to teach them.
Overall, Schmoker's blatant disregard for students, their needs, and their history is what makes me loathe this book. The lack of acknowledging the fact that all students are different will lead to a disservice to all students.
If you are looking for a book that will help students with their reading and learning, read The Writing Revolution 2.0.
However, Schmoker's book is not clear nor does it prioritize what he wants to get across. He spends 112 pages just talking through returning to traditional methods. He contradicts himself multiple times and makes statements that floored me:
“In the hands of our best teachers, the effects of poverty and institutional racism melt away.” (p. 54) [while this is a great sentiment, this also means that basically both poverty and racism is ignored by those teachers. Poverty and racism are a part of our student's lives and we cannot make it melt away or forget that they face these things every day]
“Our Profession has never been driven by evidence, but instead by ‘whims, fads, opportunism and ideology.’” (p.55) [this is disheartening to think that no one out there has used the research to lead schools to success. If this was actually the case, he would not have data or evidence for this book.]
“But it goes further, insisting that teachers customize both curricular materials and instruction around a number of factors: the students (often self-diagnosed and self-prescribed) “learning style,” cultural background, interest, hobbies, and activities. . .. None of it is proven.”(p. 80)
“And they will never participate in frequent, stimulating discussions of these works, followed by writing, all in response to simple, compelling question that can be used or varied for almost any work of literature—questions about character, culture, and theme. . .” (p.134)
The last two quotes contradict each other as one calls for us to ignore our students, their culture, and interest while then saying we should analyze culture and theme while we read. It contradicts what he is asking teachers to look at. This also disconnects students from what we teach. If students cannot connect to what we are teaching, they will disengage and not learn the skills we are trying to teach them.
Overall, Schmoker's blatant disregard for students, their needs, and their history is what makes me loathe this book. The lack of acknowledging the fact that all students are different will lead to a disservice to all students.
If you are looking for a book that will help students with their reading and learning, read The Writing Revolution 2.0.
January 15, 2024
Mike Schmoker uses research from experts in the field and proven case studies to dispel many of the myths that guide American education. He proposes a simple, manageable, research-backed solution for educators to revolutionize their teaching. This solution consists of three elements: what we teach, how we teach, and authentic literacy. These elements need not be implemented perfectly or with any special skill, they simply need to be applied consistently.
Our educational system is failing us, and unless we make the right changes, we will remain stagnant. Meaningful change means teachers using their position to do what’s proven to be best instead of what’s been chosen as the “latest, greatest” method.
Schmoker reminds us that the most important part of teaching is curriculum. However, as every teacher knows, there is no way to teach everything in our standards documents. There is just not enough time. Instead, we need a curriculum that is viable, clear, rich in content, and infused with literacy. Because if we want our students to read better, they need to read more; if we want them to write better, they need to write more; if we want them to be better critical thinkers, they need to be challenged to think critically and explain their thinking more.
Literacy matters and it should be integrated into every discipline. Schmoker takes the guesswork out of how to create a viable, literacy-rich curriculum in English language arts and the content areas in subject-specific chapters—English language arts, social studies, science, and math—that discuss more specifically how to focus the curriculum and incorporate authentic literacy into each class while upholding effective teaching practices. He even supplies lists of possible learning objectives for each area to help all students achieve success.
Normally, I pass books on to others when I’ve finished them in order to share the wealth, but I’m going to hold on to this one so that I can read it again. Instead, I’ll just highly recommend it. 5
Our educational system is failing us, and unless we make the right changes, we will remain stagnant. Meaningful change means teachers using their position to do what’s proven to be best instead of what’s been chosen as the “latest, greatest” method.
Schmoker reminds us that the most important part of teaching is curriculum. However, as every teacher knows, there is no way to teach everything in our standards documents. There is just not enough time. Instead, we need a curriculum that is viable, clear, rich in content, and infused with literacy. Because if we want our students to read better, they need to read more; if we want them to write better, they need to write more; if we want them to be better critical thinkers, they need to be challenged to think critically and explain their thinking more.
Literacy matters and it should be integrated into every discipline. Schmoker takes the guesswork out of how to create a viable, literacy-rich curriculum in English language arts and the content areas in subject-specific chapters—English language arts, social studies, science, and math—that discuss more specifically how to focus the curriculum and incorporate authentic literacy into each class while upholding effective teaching practices. He even supplies lists of possible learning objectives for each area to help all students achieve success.
Normally, I pass books on to others when I’ve finished them in order to share the wealth, but I’m going to hold on to this one so that I can read it again. Instead, I’ll just highly recommend it. 5
August 26, 2023
Highlights/thought points:
*Reading and writing are key. Frequent reading and writing across all subjects are key.
*Good curriculum and lesson planning takes into account the actual, real time you have in a grading period and then prioritizes content based on those realistic timeframes.
*Content and lots of it is best for all disciplines.
*Current education needs some revolutionary thinking to change for the better.
Some "don't agree withs/issues":
*Seems very dismissive or negligent of differentiation here.
*Wishy-washy on what the role of Common Core or other Standards really should be when developing curriculum.
*The style of the writing itself was very dry and repetitive. A lot of "as I explain later" moments. that don't meet the expectations, imo.
Overall, some interesting points and decent gems of thought as one can usually find in educational writing but not the most original or engaging that I have read.
(This was an optional district read a few years ago that I finally completed both parts of for review.)
*Reading and writing are key. Frequent reading and writing across all subjects are key.
*Good curriculum and lesson planning takes into account the actual, real time you have in a grading period and then prioritizes content based on those realistic timeframes.
*Content and lots of it is best for all disciplines.
*Current education needs some revolutionary thinking to change for the better.
Some "don't agree withs/issues":
*Seems very dismissive or negligent of differentiation here.
*Wishy-washy on what the role of Common Core or other Standards really should be when developing curriculum.
*The style of the writing itself was very dry and repetitive. A lot of "as I explain later" moments. that don't meet the expectations, imo.
Overall, some interesting points and decent gems of thought as one can usually find in educational writing but not the most original or engaging that I have read.
(This was an optional district read a few years ago that I finally completed both parts of for review.)
July 15, 2024
This was a faculty read for the summer. It focuses on the need for education to focus on reading and writing in all disciplines. The reason I gave it a 4 store is because there were many times where I really wanted a full example of what was being talked about. For example, a demonstration of how a relevant task would be taught in class. It was, however, very helpful, and I wish I had read it before teaching physical science.
It also talked about whether algebra should be taught if people don't actually use it. While I wholeheartedly agree that we need more applied math and problem solving taught, I don't think they gave credit to the way algebra helps you learn problem solving skills. When you approach a problem thinking...what is it asking me to do, what do I know that I can apply to this problem, what would be the most efficient way to go about it, work toward a solution (and maybe take a detour), and then end at a solution. That is very valuable and applicable to any problem solving scenario and decision making.
It also talked about whether algebra should be taught if people don't actually use it. While I wholeheartedly agree that we need more applied math and problem solving taught, I don't think they gave credit to the way algebra helps you learn problem solving skills. When you approach a problem thinking...what is it asking me to do, what do I know that I can apply to this problem, what would be the most efficient way to go about it, work toward a solution (and maybe take a detour), and then end at a solution. That is very valuable and applicable to any problem solving scenario and decision making.
July 30, 2024
A good resource to remind educators of the fundamentals of education: curriculum, instruction, and LITERACY. As the author says multiple times in the book, none of the concepts he introduces are groundbreaking or innovative. Instead, he's asking all of us to bolster our fundamentals as the core of what we do as schools and districts, with evidence-based sources to back up his reasoning. If there is anything that one *must* take away from this book, it's that literacy has not been a focus for too many for too long. It's telling that since this book has come out, literacy programs in my area have begun to be implemented - though this could just be a lucky coincidence.
Putting principles into practice: the author provides breakdowns for each of the core disciplines of how to implement what he's advocating, including templates and prompts. He also has a follow-up (LEADING WITH FOCUS) for administrators and teacher leaders.
Highly recommended for all educators, regardless of discipline.
Putting principles into practice: the author provides breakdowns for each of the core disciplines of how to implement what he's advocating, including templates and prompts. He also has a follow-up (LEADING WITH FOCUS) for administrators and teacher leaders.
Highly recommended for all educators, regardless of discipline.
March 25, 2021
Descent read, though philosophically I disagree with many of his assertions. I agree that we need to do more reading and writing and less entertaining as teachers, however he spends nearly an entire chapter telling you why differentiation, group work, PBL, etc. are bad and promoting teacher-centered lecture models of instruction. The literature he uses to substantiate his claims are all from the 90s and early 2000s, with a few from the 80s and earlier thrown in. Little or no academic literature from the last decade was included. I like his ideas for injecting more reading and writing into my social studies classroom and will start implementing them, but the rest is useless to me.
July 20, 2023
Definitely a professional development book. It’s not an easy beach read You definitely have to focus and you’re going to want to underline and annotate it. But there’s a lot of good information that makes you reflect. You need to read the first half of the book but then, if you’re content specific, the rest of the chapters are divided up, so if you don’t teach science, you could skip that chapter, but as an elementary teacher, I read all of them. There’s a good balance between research and evidence based practices with real applicable suggestions.
May 26, 2024
Every teacher, school leader, and policymaker should read this book. It addresses fundamental problems with popular approaches to education and presents research-based, tried and true solutions that can help schools and teachers make dramatic impacts on students without significant investments in technology, curriculum, or professional development. I have been applying principles and techniques from this book in my classroom, and I am amazed at how much more effective my lessons are for my students.
February 20, 2024
A powerful book, with lots to chew on. Especially of note is its montra to not abandon older techniques in favor of new "flavor of the month" fads. The emphasis on the critical nature of literacy in our educational practices isn't new but welcomely rejuvenated in an inspirational work that is sure to engage many educational leaders in dialing down the focus on a high number of new initiatives, in favor of dialing up the focus on content reading and real world applications.
October 29, 2022
Though read because it was assigned, it challenged some of my beliefs about effective instruction. I if wonder how some of the suggestions made conflict with strategies for student engagement, especially post-pandemic. It was VERY repetitive in an annoying way, but I learned a great deal, and this book will definitely make it my professional bookshelf when I become an administrator.
March 25, 2019
A few good ideas repeated throughout. The last half feels like he didn't expect people to read all the subject areas. We walked through this a chapter a week, which made it work. I don't think I would have finished it on my own once I figured out the three or four main ideas.
July 28, 2020
The straightforwardness and eyeopening aspects of this book will serve me well at this point in my teaching career. Traditionally, I've been quick to jump towards the next educational fad, but this book makes me stop and think about what truly works.
Now to implement some of these ideas.
Now to implement some of these ideas.
May 31, 2019
Isn’t this what good teaching has always been. The old is the new “new”
September 15, 2022
Forgot to add this in the summer.
Nothing groundbreaking, but refreshing and validating to read in the wake of COVID tech-infused teaching, increased (ridiculous) state testing, and teaching fads.
Nothing groundbreaking, but refreshing and validating to read in the wake of COVID tech-infused teaching, increased (ridiculous) state testing, and teaching fads.
April 25, 2023
Whenever I get lost in education - lost in the weeds or in a quagmire of the mundane, I reread sections of Focus, and I'm back on track.
March 31, 2024
There are some very good points in this book and it would be an amazing book for an entire staff to read. It all goes back to the basics. I love it
January 27, 2025
A must read for every public school educator.
August 5, 2025
This was probably the single best book I’ve read about educational philosophy. It cites all the big guns but namely two of my heroes, Doug Lemov and Sam Wineburg: GOATs 🐐.
In Schmoker I now trust.
In Schmoker I now trust.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews