Books by McLaughlin and DeVoogd, Zwiers, Fisher and Frey, and Harmon, Wood, and Hedrick

by Sheila Cantlebary and Beth Munger

Critical Literacy: Enhancing Students Comprehension of Text by Maureen McLaughlin and Glenn L. DeVoogd (New York: Scholastic, 2004)

Maureen McLaughlin and Glenn DeVoogd first "demystify" critical literacy for the reader by clearly defining the term and sharing some essential theoretical underpinnings. They offer a framework and model lessons for guiding students to "comprehend with a critical edge." Although the classroom examples in the book are drawn from elementary and middle schools, high school teachers will also find it a worthwhile resource for planning instruction that requires students to read with a critical stance. Appendices include a glossary of critical literacy terms, an annotated list of useful trade books, and a list of websites to use for additional information about critical literacy and as resources in lessons.

Developing Academic Thinking Skills in Grades 6-12: A Handbook of Multiple Intelligence Activities by Jeff Zwiers (International Reading Association, Newark, DE, 2004)

What do you get when you integrate thinking skills such as analyzing, comparing, and problem solving with four of Gardner's multiple intelligences (interpersonal, visual, kinesthetic, and musical)? The answer: The activities in Jeff Zweirs's book, aptly titled Developing Academic Thinking Skills in Grades 6-12: A Handbook of Multiple Intelligence Activities. After explaining how the book is organized and setting the stage for the well-thought-out activities by offering a host of good teaching approaches, Zwiers focuses on each of twelve thinking skills, chapter by chapter, successively building on the previous chapters' skills. A feature that deserves special mention is a code— Gru (group) Vi (visual) Mo (movement) Ma (manipulatives) Mu (music)— that Zwiers uses to characterize the activities. This especially meets the needs of teachers who are constantly on the lookout for activities that address different learning styles. The book also provides reproducible blackline masters that can be used with the activities.

Improving Adolescent Literacy: Content Area Strategies at Work by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey (Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2008), 2nd ed.

In this second edition of Improving Adolescent Literacy: Content Area Strategies at Work, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey repeat the successes of their first edition as well as its mission: to "enhance student comprehension . . . and develop students' access to vocabulary." At the heart of the book are the seven chapters devoted to reading strategies, including anticipatory activities, vocabulary development, read-alouds and shared reading, and questioning. Note taking, writing, and graphic organizers round out the list. Each of these chapters begins with a vignette that illustrates the strategy of the chapter. Then, as you might expect, the focus shifts to the strategy itself, thoughtfully explored in a discussion that cites supportive research. What follows next is a gem of a section you might not expect, called "Strategies at Work." This section details how the strategy can be implemented, subject by subject, across the curriculum: English, mathematics, social studies, science, and elective classes such as art, music, consumer science, and culture studies.

What's new in this edition? The problems of English language learners and struggling readers receive special attention, plus the authors have added suggestions for incorporating media into lessons.

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Content Vocabulary, Grades 4-12 by Janis M. Harmon, Karen D. Wood, and Wanda B. Hedrick (National Middle School Association, Westerville, OH, International Reading Association, Newark, DE, 2006)

This practical book is a compilation of forty-two research-based strategies to help middle and high school content-area teachers with vocabulary instruction in the classroom. David W. Moore (Arizona State University) describes in the foreword what separates this book from so many other books on vocabulary instruction: ". . . its accessible, no-frills format. The vocabulary strategies' descriptions, suggested variations, content area examples, and blackline masters are especially convenient." Each vocabulary instruction strategy is self-contained and includes a brief introduction to the strategy (including the research that supports it), a materials needed list, a reference to the content area for which the strategy is most helpful, the procedure for teaching the strategy, and content-area examples and variations for the strategy.

The authors have divided the chapters by content area to help teachers "focus on the type of word learning tasks that are involved in the terms" they have selected to teach. In addition, the authors reference the specific vocabulary instruction needs of students who struggle with reading, students who lag behind in reading proficiency, and English language learners.

Sheila Cantlebary is a reading content specialist at the Ohio Resource Center. As a former teacher in Columbus Public Schools, she taught English, language arts, and reading (7-12), served as a K-12 English language arts coordinator, and was a teacher in the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow program. Her teaching experience also includes facilitating State Institute for Reading Instruction and English Language Arts Academy sessions. She is currently co-facilitator of the High School Language Arts Network sponsored by the Central Ohio Regional School Improvement Team.

Beth Munger teaches composition, reading, and American literature at Ohio Dominican University. She has also taught composition and literature at Ohio State University and Columbus State Community College. Munger holds a bachelor of arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University, where she majored in English and history, and a master of arts degree from Ohio State University in the field of rhetoric and composition. She has worked on several ORC projects, including Advancing Literacy Instruction Together (AdLIT), Ohio Writing Institute Network for Success (OhioWINS), and the English Language Arts Program Models.

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