Empowering Struggling Readers Practices for the Middle Grades

This book provides classroom-tested methods for engaging struggling middle grade readers - even those who appear to have given up - and fostering their success. The emphasis is on constructing respectful, encouraging learning environments that incorporate students' diverse literacies, cultural interests, and prior knowledge and skills into instruction. Chapters outline effective, innovative strategies for instruction and assessment in comprehension, vocabulary, text-based discussion, critical reading, and other core areas. Realistic classroom examples are included throughout, including applications of nontraditional texts. Other useful features include reflection questions at the end of each chapter.This book will be important reading for english/language arts teachers in grades 6-9, reading specialists and coaches, and teacher educators. It may also serve as a text in such courses as Adolescent Literacy, Teaching English Language Arts, and Reading Methods in the Middle Grades.

Leigh A. Hall, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Literacy Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is a former middle school English and social studies teacher who worked in Houston, Texas. Dr. Hall is the recipient of the Early Career Achievement Award from the National Reading Conference/Literacy Research Association. Her research addresses issues relevant to adolescent literacy, struggling readers, middle school education, and teacher education. Leslie D. Burns, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Literacy at the University of Kentucky and a former English language arts teacher who worked in rural Kansas schools. Dr. Burns focuses his studies on research-based standards for literacy and teacher education. He chaired the Conference on English Education\u2019s (CEE) Task Force for Political Action in Education Reform, serves on the CEE\u2019s Standards Task Force, and chairs the English Education Program at the University of Kentucky. Elizabeth Carr Edwards, PhD, is Assistant Professor of Literacy in the Department of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading at Georgia Southern University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses. Previously, she taught elementary school for 7 years. Dr. Edwards's research and publications focus on elementary and middle grades vocabulary development and sociocultural pedagogical theory.

1. Who Are Struggling Readers? 2. Promoting Disciplinary Reading Practices in English Language Arts 3. Designing Classroom Environments That Support Literacy Development 4. Engaging and Motivating Marginalized Readers 5. Assessing Reading Performance and Students\u2019 Funds of Knowledge 6. Implementing Reading Comprehension Strategies 7. Using Young Adult Literature to Promote Comprehension with Struggling Readers, Lisa Scherff 8. Culturally Grounded Vocabulary Instruction 9. Fostering Discussions about Texts 10. Reading Texts on the Internet 11. Using Nonprint Media and Texts to Support Marginalized Readers, Stergios G. Botzakis 12. Relevant Curriculum and Policy for Middle School Struggling Readers 13. Conclusion: Promising Readers, David W. Moore