Reading about Reading: A Partial List of Recommended Books

To Expand Your Knowledge of Reading

 

For those who are interested in reading about reading, these books and resources offer valuable background information and knowledge on reading and the process of proficient reading.  This is a partial list resources on reading and reading instruction recommended by Miscese Gagen, author of Right Track Reading Lessons and Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons.

 

Overcoming Dyslexia: A New and Complete Science-Based Program for Reading Problems at Any Level   by Sally Shaywitz, M.D. Copyright 2003 

Published by Alfred A Knopf

 

Report of the National Reading Panel Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction Summary Report.  This 35  page summary report  produced by the US Department of Health and Human Services, National institute of Child Health and Human Development can be ordered in printed form or downloaded from the internet at   www.nationalreadingpanel.org/publications/summary.htm

·        According to the National Reading Panel Website: “The Summary Report is an ideal resource for anyone who wants to understand the purpose, methodology, and results of the National Reading Panel's findings on reading instruction research.  This 35-page report explains the origin of the Panel and its congressional charge. It succinctly describes the research methodology used and the findings of each of the Panel subgroups: (1) Alphabetics, (2) Fluency, (3) Comprehension, (4) Teacher Education and Reading Instruction, and (5) Computer Technology and Reading Instruction. This report also offers insightful information provided by Panel members on reading instruction topics that may require further exploration.  This report is an excellent resource for parents, teachers, administrators, or anyone interested in learning about reading instruction research.”

 

Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read.  This informational guide designed for teachers outlines implementation of the findings of the National Reading Panel. This free publication can be ordered from the National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) website or downloaded as a PDF at http://www.nationalreadingpanel.org/publications/researchread.htm.

·        According to the National Reading Panel website: “This 58-page teacher's guide provides a framework for using the findings of the National Reading Panel in the classroom. It describes the NRP findings and provides analysis and discussion in five areas of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Each section also suggests implications for classroom instruction with examples of how the findings can be implemented.”

 

Why Johnny Can’t Read and What You Can Do About It  and the follow-up book Why Johnny Still Can’t Read by Rudolph Flesch.  The original Why Johnny Can’t Read was copyrighted in 1955 and published by Harper & Row.

 

Why Our Children Can’t Read and What We Can Do About It by  Diane McGuinness Ph.D. Copyright 1997 Published by Simon & Schuster

 

The Writing Road to Reading: The Spalding Method of Phonics for Teaching Speech, Writing and Reading by Romolda Bishop Spalding with Walter T. Spalding. The original program was copyrighted in 1957 with updates afterward. The Fourth  Revised Edition was copyrighted in 1990. The publisher of the forth revised edition is William Morrow.

 

Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons: An Effective Step-by-Step Reading Remediation Program for Older Students and Adults  by Miscese Gagen Copyright 2006 Published by Right Track Reading LLC. 

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This article was written by Miscese Gagen, a mother with a passion for teaching children to read proficiently by using effective methods. She is also a successful reading tutor and author of the reading instructional programs Right Track Reading Lessons and Back on the Right Track Reading Lessons. The purpose of this article is to empower parents and teachers with information on teaching children how to read. We CAN improve reading proficiency, one student at a time!  More information is located at www.righttrackreading.com   ~ Copyright 2007 Miscese R. Gagen