Literacy Intervention in the Middle Grades: Word Learning, Comprehension, and Strategy Instruction, Grades 4-8

by Kevin Flanigan, Latisha Hayes, Katherine A. Dougherty Stahl (Foreword)

No two students in grades 4–8 are identical, and many struggle with literacy for different reasons. Using a teacher-friendly, hands-on approach, this eminently practical book walks educators through the nuts and bolts of literacy intervention in the middle grades. Highlights include “North Star” principles to orient instruction, an assessment flowchart, and extended case studies of three middle-grades learners. The book offers evidence-based intervention practices for targeting specific literacy components, including word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Teachers are guided to plan structured but flexible interventions that promote literacy growth and engagement. Sample lesson plans and clear, engaging figures illustrate how to make literacy intervention work for all students.
 

266 pages, Paperback

Published December 27, 2022

About the author

Professor Kevin Flanigan is a Professor of Education in the Literacy Department at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He earned his B.A. in History from Mary Washington College, his M.Ed. from James Madison University, and his M.Ed. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia. After working as a middle grades teacher and reading specialist, he received his Ph.D. in Reading Education from the University of Virginia, with a dissertation on emergent readers’ developing concept of word in text. In 2011, Professor Flanigan was nominated for the U.S. Professors of the Year Award. In 2009, he and his colleagues at West Chester University received an Educator 500 award for innovative teaching.\r\n Professor Flanigan’s research focuses on developmental word knowledge, vocabulary development and instruction, and interventions for struggling readers. He presents frequently at national and international conferences and works with schools to implement effective literacy instruction. He is coauthor of Words Their Way with Struggling Readers, Vocabulary Their Way (2nd edition), and Developing Word Recognition. Professor Flanigan is on the authorship team for the Vocabulary Their Way middle school program. He has published articles in many professional journals, including The Reading Teacher, the Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, and the Journal of Literacy Research.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Flanigan's use of case studies to help the reader consider various reading needs, how to assess them, how to consider an Response to Intervention (RTI) in an existing Multi-Tiered System of Support) MTSS. As a high school teacher, I found the case studies relevant and useful.

Getting into the book was a bit of a challenge. I don't want, nor need the author to personalize the text with narratives from his own life. As an educator with limited time and energy to read, I prefer texts that just get to the point and stick to the point. I am not a reader who needs a hook. At this point, I picked up the book for the information in it. I don't need any cute extras to engage me.

If you are one of those people who LOVES a long introduction with a personal, historic connection to the topic from the author, you may disagree with my assessment of this books.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was practical and insightful. I plan to suggest it as our Reading Intervention book study, AND suggest to my colleagues in SPED and ML. My copy is full of sticky notes.