Creating Literacy Instruction for All Students

by Thomas G. Gunning

This is the eBook of the printed book and may not include any media, website access codes, or print supplements that may come packaged with the bound book.

 

With its emphasis on helping struggling readers and English language learners, Creating Literacy Instruction for All Students includes in-depth coverage of every major topic in literacy education and includes a number of features not currently found in other texts, an Academic Word List adapted for elementary and middle school students, arranged by difficulty level of words; specialized techniques for teaching difficult phonics elements; easy-to-administer and analyze formative phonics, syllabic analysis, and comprehension assessments; comprehension techniques, such as mystery passages, using manipulatives, macro close, and writing intensive reading comprehension; stage of development; explanations on the use of extensive data bases of Lexiled informational texts; and outstanding pedagogical features to enhance teaching and learning.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Nonfiction

579 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 1999

Reviews

[Julia S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pretty much all of the advice on early reading instruction in this book is worthless. The author has a very poor understanding of what good phonics-based reading instruction entails.

Instead, I'd suggest "Why Our Children Can't Read" by Diane McGuinness, or "Early Reading Instruction" also by Diane McGuinness.

[Molly]

i found this to be an easy, informative read for a class for my masters, if at times almost too broad for its own good - it spent a single chapter on something that had been a whole course for me, so there were some sections i felt the urge to skim. but lots of great good ideas to try so a net-win overall!

[Heather R · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book was more a list of ideas of things to do in a classroom. I don’t feel like I can teach reading and writing any better now after finishing the book. I am glad it’s a rental.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was informative and useful. It has a wide breadth of beginning information and is probably most useful for those studying to become teachers instead of experienced teachers. Chapter titles are: the nature of literacy; teaching all students; assessing for learning; fostering emergent/early literacy; teaching phonics, high-frequency words, and syllabic analysis; building vocabulary; comprehension: theory and strategies; comprehension: text structures and teaching procedures; reading and writing in the content areas and study skills; reading literature; approaches to teaching reading; writing and reading; creating and managing a literacy program.

This book is geared towards elementary teaching, and I felt it was especially focused on the earlier elementary grades. However, this provided a solid foundation for understanding just how we learn to read, and come to understand what reading even is. I appreciated the insights into assisting English Language Learners.

Each chapter begins with an "anticipation guide" with a set of questions to get the reader thinking. There are helping "FYI" sections that highlight main points and tips. Key vocabulary words are bolded within the text and re-emphasized in their own boxes. There are lists, steps, and examples. I felt the text was too didactic and detailed at times, but perhaps I just need time to use what I learned in a hands-on way. Overall, it is a quality text.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I teach high school English and am pursuing a graduate degree to become a Reading Specialist. I'm committed to staying in the classroom, as administrative roles don't interest me. Instead, I am using the skills learned from my courses to enhance my teaching, and my reviews of these coursework texts will assess their effectiveness in that goal. I found this book to be an invaluable guide that deepened my knowledge and provided practical strategies for supporting diverse learners in the classroom. Gunning covers various topics, from foundational concepts in literacy development to evidence-based strategies for teaching reading and writing across different grade levels and content areas. Each chapter has research-based insights and practical examples, making complex concepts accessible and applicable to real-world classroom settings. I am confident that the insights and strategies I have gained from this book will make me a more effective and impactful teacher. My only criticism is that it leans heavily on younger grades.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book for learning about how to teach comprehension to students. The book focuses extensively on strategies and does it in a way that is very relevant and implementable for urban classrooms. I didn't read the whole thing -- probably about half the chapters -- but I will definitely keep it and refer to it in the future because it is an excellent resource.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good resource for an overview of literacy and instruction methods. I recommend this text to first-year and aspiring teachers.

[Tina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Used in my Intermediate Language Arts Methods course at the University Center. Disappointed - had more about beginning reading than intermediate!

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read this book for a class I am taking. It was very information and had a lot of great ideas.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only text book I actually enjoyed reading. Professors take note!!