Reading to Learn in Secondary Classrooms
Increasing Comprehension and Understanding
- Daniel M. Perna - James Daniel & Associates
- Sarah F. Mahurt - Purdue University, USA
Although reading is an essential skill for learning in any discipline, many students in today's secondary classrooms find reading tasks difficult and often fail to complete those assignments. Now this proven, step-by-step instructional model shows secondary teachers how to help students boost their reading comprehension, acquire knowledge through their reading, and process the information that they've learned.
Providing numerous classroom examples, the authors show teachers how to use research-based, high-effect strategies before, during, and after reading to increase student learning in various content and subject areas. Teachers learn how to help students:
- Prepare for learning and anticipate reading assignments through pre-lesson strategies such as previewing the text, activating prior knowledge, and developing questions
- Remain focused and engaged during reading assignments through strategies such as reciprocal teaching, jigsaw, and think-alouds
- Process and internalize newly learned information using strategies such as graphic organizers and summaries
Easy to implement, this method helps secondary teachers improve students' content learning and reading ability at the same time!
“Includes clear sample lessons from nearly every major content area so teachers can see how the literacy strategies have been applied in the classroom.”
“This text helps the reader understand that students do not just learn to read in the primary grades. Students must continue to grow and become more sophisticated readers if we expect them to master varied content information and concepts. The strategies in this book provide a framework to support content area teachers as they strive to engage students and increase content literacy as well as content mastery.”
"Recent research has shown that the overarching assumption that students can read and understand on a basic level can no longer be assured. This book provides clear, comprehensive, cogent, and concise processes that educators can use to enhance high school students' capacity to read, understand, and use the information contained in written word. I recommend this text to high school instructors, their mentors, and administrators who interact with students for whom basic reading skills are still a challenge."
"Great book! Literacy for all, not just academics. The case studies and data are easy to understand, and the techniques can be quickly implemented in all classes. A definite read for all CTE teachers and directors."
"Perna and Mahurt understand the difficulties faced by secondary teachers today and emphasize commonsense literacy strategies to alleviate these difficulties. Using literacy instruction as a learning tool that helps teachers instruct students in their respective content areas has the potential for student growth across the curriculum. This book provides useful tools for secondary teachers in all content areas."
"There are two reasons why this is an important resource for high school teacher leaders: the underlying understanding that ALL students must master literacy at a high level, and the abundance of specific high school examples presented in a user-friendly format. Literacy and learning linked in ways that can be implemented immediately and easily!"
