Strategic Reading: Guiding Students to Lifelong Literacy, 6-12

by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Tanya N. Baker, Julie Hackett

Jeffrey Wilhelm and his coauthors know that before reading can be learned, it must be taught. As students move on to more challenging texts in middle and high school, their reading skills don't grow automatically to meet those demands. They need help figuring out how to read, not just what to read. Strategic Reading provides the tools teachers need to help students of all abilities make this important transition to higher-level texts. Rather than "student-centered" or "teacher-centered," Wilhelm and his coauthors rely on a "learning-centered" approach to reading. They offer a thorough examination of the issues surrounding teaching and learning, and of the specific demands particular texts make on readers. Then they provide dozens of innovative strategies for teaching students to comprehend, engage, and make use of these kinds of texts. By placing the emphasis on learning how to learn , students become active participants in their own education and part of a classroom community of learners. For too many students, reading instruction falls by the wayside at the time when they need it most. As the focus on reading more sophisticated kinds of texts intensifies in our schools, students need more help than ever. Using Wilhelm and his coauthors' learning-centered approach, teachers can make reading processes visible and available to students. Armed with an understanding of reading strategies and the ability to apply them in any context, students become empowered readers not only in the English classroom, but in their lives as well.

Genres: Education, Teaching, School

272 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2001

Reviews

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went to the Wilhelm Literacy Conference last month, and this book was assigned as follow up reading. I really, really enjoyed the conference as well as the book. I feel like I was introduced to most (if not all) of these ideas in my teaching program at BYU, but I feel like I understand them a little better after being in the classroom.

Things I liked:
*There is a clear and concise explanation of reading theories. And, I'm really interested in reading more about the theorists introduced in this book on my own.
*There are a lot of specific reading strategies to use in the classroom to improve metacognition about reading and help students identify themselves as readers
*There is a major focus on encouraging democratic thinking and practices by centering learning on relevant issues and working as a class to solve problems and/or answer questions

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book would be excellent to give to a pre-service or student teacher, but it wasn't what I was looking for. I agreed with most of what the authors wrote, but these were philosophies I had already considered and already put into practice. I guess I was looking for some more practical application of strategies, like useful activities I could modify. If you're looking for a book on teaching philosophy with some good examples, this is the book for you. If you're looking to update your teaching toolbox, you won't find an extensive amount to use.

[Whitney Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book to any reading teachers out there! So full of ideas and theory that is backed by research. Written well too- it's not too complicated or confusing.

I also loved the practical applications of the theory, such as the section on frontloading. Lots of good stuff in there!

This book has informed my teaching of reading probably more than any other I've read so far. I'm so glad that I read it!

[RRVWP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strategic Reading is one of the best books, if not the best book, on reading instruction. The authors deftly explain Vygotskian Learning Theory, instructional scaffolding as well as other important literacy concepts. If you have time to read only one book on reading instruction, this is it.

[C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short, some good ideas. I'm surprised at how many three star reviews I'm giving to ed books, but maybe that's because I threw most of them away when I finished my program.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good ideas for helping students develop as readers. The writing is interesting, but I really liked the ideas the most.