Science of Reading – Teacher Book Stack time is finally here! Even though it is summer and a time for teachers to recharge and relax, I have always enjoyed reading, sharpening my skills and planning for the next year. It fuels the teaching fire! We are going to introduce four professional teaching books and explain why each book is an important read for literacy teachers. My picks this year are influenced by the science of reading.
One aspect of the science of reading is making sure students are proficient in phonological awareness and phonics. And I agree these are critical building blocks to building readers and have said so for so many years. Really Great Reading says it well- The scientific consensus is that teaching phonics systematically, explicitly, and cumulatively is key to successful reading instruction.
The author’s of Shifting the Balance take a look at balanced literacy and the science of reading and find where there is overlap.
How It Will Help Teachers
Since this is on my to be read list, I haven’t read it yet, but as we all know there are always so called reading wars going on and right now the pendulum is swinging from balanced literacy to the science of reading. These authors are trying to find a way to shift and adjust our early literacy practices.
Louisa Moats, author of Speech to Print, is a highly respected author and specializes in the professional development of teachers of reading and writing.
How It Will Help Teachers
This book gives teachers in-depth knowledge of the structure and function of language so they can deliver successful structured literacy instruction. If you have read this already, comment and let me know what you thought about it.
This book is supposed to take the guesswork out of explaining why words are spelled the way they are. How many times have we said, “Well, that is an exception to the rule”?
How It Will Help Teachers
I think this book will help so many uncover the reasons why some words are spelled the way they are and by understanding why words are spelled the way they are, students can eliminate the need for so much guessing when they spell and write.
I’ve already read and used David Kilpatrick’s Equipped for Reading Success. It is an excellent book and student enjoy the phonemic awareness activities in it. So I chose this Kilpatrick book to go on my list.
How It Will Help Teachers
Essentials….is a practical guide to reading assessment and intervention. This book discusses the causes of reading difficulties and helps you develop knowledge and confidence to accurately assess why a student is struggling.
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