Reading to Learn in Secondary Classrooms

Increasing Comprehension and Understanding
Daniel M. Perna - James Daniel & Associates
Sarah F. Mahurt - Purdue University, USA
Reading to Learn in Secondary Classrooms
July 2009 | 128 pages | Corwin
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eBook
ISBN: 9781452272528
Available from January 0001
Paperback
ISBN: 9781412956123
Available from January 0001

Description

"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."
—Crystal Leu, Director of Curriculum
Lakeland School Corporation, LaGrange, IN

Reading: a tool for learning in any subject area!

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!

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Figures and Tables

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

  • 1. Introduction
  • Lifelong Literacy Growth and Development
  • What to Teach
  • Research in Literacy
  • How This Book Helps
  • 2. The Instructional Process
  • Before-Reading Activities
  • During-Reading Activities
  • After-Reading Activities
  • The Process
  • 3. Before Reading
  • Background Knowledge
  • Developing Questions
  • Understanding and Using Text Structure
  • Previewing Text
  • Vocabulary
  • 4. During Reading
  • Questioning
  • Jigsawing Text and Graphic Organizers
  • Reciprocal Teaching
  • Think-Alouds
  • Oral Reading
  • 5. After Reading
  • Graphic Organizers
  • Written Summaries
  • The Importance of Writing
  • 6. Putting It All Together
  • Students Today
  • Following Through With Assessment
  • What Does This Mean for Teachers?
  • Improving Content Learning and Literacy

Appendix: School Examples Using Instructional Framework

Appendix: School Examples Using Instructional Framework

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

Description

"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."
—Crystal Leu, Director of Curriculum
Lakeland School Corporation, LaGrange, IN

Reading: a tool for learning in any subject area!

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!

Contents

List of Figures and Tables

List of Figures and Tables

Preface

Preface

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

About the Authors

  • 1. Introduction
  • Lifelong Literacy Growth and Development
  • What to Teach
  • Research in Literacy
  • How This Book Helps
  • 2. The Instructional Process
  • Before-Reading Activities
  • During-Reading Activities
  • After-Reading Activities
  • The Process
  • 3. Before Reading
  • Background Knowledge
  • Developing Questions
  • Understanding and Using Text Structure
  • Previewing Text
  • Vocabulary
  • 4. During Reading
  • Questioning
  • Jigsawing Text and Graphic Organizers
  • Reciprocal Teaching
  • Think-Alouds
  • Oral Reading
  • 5. After Reading
  • Graphic Organizers
  • Written Summaries
  • The Importance of Writing
  • 6. Putting It All Together
  • Students Today
  • Following Through With Assessment
  • What Does This Mean for Teachers?
  • Improving Content Learning and Literacy

Appendix: School Examples Using Instructional Framework

Appendix: School Examples Using Instructional Framework

References

References

Index

Index

Additional materials

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Reading to Learn in Secondary Classrooms

Increasing Comprehension and Understanding

Daniel M. Perna , Sarah F. Mahurt
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July 2009 | 128 pages | Corwin

Format Published Date ISBN Price
Paperback 01/02/2026 9781412956123 $37.95
Hardcover 27/02/2023 9781412956116 $73.95
Lifetime 01/02/2026 9781452272528 $35.00

"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."
—Crystal Leu, Director of Curriculum
Lakeland School Corporation, LaGrange, IN

Reading: a tool for learning in any subject area!

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!


Table Of Contents:

  • List of Figures and Tables
  • Preface
  • Acknowledgments
  • About the Authors
  • 1. Introduction
  • Lifelong Literacy Growth and Development
  • What to Teach
  • Research in Literacy
  • How This Book Helps
  • 2. The Instructional Process
  • Before-Reading Activities
  • During-Reading Activities
  • After-Reading Activities
  • The Process
  • 3. Before Reading
  • Background Knowledge
  • Developing Questions
  • Understanding and Using Text Structure
  • Previewing Text
  • Vocabulary
  • 4. During Reading
  • Questioning
  • Jigsawing Text and Graphic Organizers
  • Reciprocal Teaching
  • Think-Alouds
  • Oral Reading
  • 5. After Reading
  • Graphic Organizers
  • Written Summaries
  • The Importance of Writing
  • 6. Putting It All Together
  • Students Today
  • Following Through With Assessment
  • What Does This Mean for Teachers?
  • Improving Content Learning and Literacy
  • Appendix: School Examples Using Instructional Framework
  • References
  • Index

Recent Product Reviews:

"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!"
Billie Donegan, Director of Instructional Best Practice and School Change Coach, The Center for Secondary School Redesign
"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."
Carol Arjona, Director of Secondary Education, USD 475, Geary County Schools, Junction City, KS
"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."
Hal Hayden, Adjunct Faculty, Nova Southeastern University, Independent Consultant, Hayden Consulting
"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."
Jan Struebing, Retired Career Technical Education Director
“Includes clear sample lessons from nearly every major content area so teachers can see how the literacy strategies have been applied in the classroom.”
Joan Baltezore, Biology Teacher, West Fargo High School, ND

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