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Deeper Reading: Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12
Do your students often struggle with difficult novels and other challenging texts? Do you feel that you are doing more work teaching the novel than they are reading it? Building on twenty years of teaching language arts, Kelly Gallagher shows how students can be taught to successfully read a broad range of challenging and difficult texts with deeper levels of comprehension. In Deeper Comprehending Challenging Texts, 4-12 , he shares effective, classroom-tested strategies that enable your students Accept the challenge of reading difficult books and move beyond a "first draft" understanding Consciously monitor their comprehension as they read and employ effective "fix-it" strategies when comprehension starts to falter Use meaningful collaboration and metaphorical thinking to achieve deeper understanding of texts Reflect on the relevance the book holds for themselves and their peers by using critical thinking skills to analyze real-world issues Gallagher also provides guidance on effective lesson planning that incorporates strategies for deeper reading. Funny, poignant, and packed with practical ideas that work in real classrooms, Deeper Reading is a valuable resource for any teacher whose students need new tools to uncover the riches found in complex texts.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
93 people are currently reading
1268 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
March 22, 2011
Deeper Reading should have been titled Teaching Reading for Dummies. Ideally, all teachers want students to walk into class already knowing how to make meaning from the text, revisit it a number of times to deepen their understanding, make metaphorical and reflective connections, and to venture from the text to other texts. But, sadly, this is hardly ever the case. We, as teachers, are the ones responsible for teaching this set of skills that will enable to become frequent and better readers as adults.
When reading this book, I found it important to make sure students see why they are learning the things they are learning. Providing a background and a point of reference for students to use is vital in teaching students deeper reading/learning. When Gallagher used his example of his teacher and the students’ writing, it helped the students see the connection between their lives and the text. It is important for students to make a connection so they can see the relevance in what they are learning.
Gallagher once again provides many different and insightful ways to get students to approach texts. He gives us many great exercises to help further students’ understanding, generate focus, achieve deeper comprehension, and establish metaphorical connections. I will gladly say that I plan on using some of his exercise ideas in my own classroom. More importantly, I can see many ways to create new exercises from the examples he has provided.
Gallagher once again makes this text easily approachable because of his style of writing. He has an easy-going, anecdotal way of explaining himself.
Like his other book, Readicide, I would recommend this book to future, current, and former teachers. It ties in well with Readicide. This book was extremely helpful and inspirational.
One last thing this book taught me - By knowing what you want to achieve at the end of your lesson, you can come up with interesting and creative ways to effectively get there.
When reading this book, I found it important to make sure students see why they are learning the things they are learning. Providing a background and a point of reference for students to use is vital in teaching students deeper reading/learning. When Gallagher used his example of his teacher and the students’ writing, it helped the students see the connection between their lives and the text. It is important for students to make a connection so they can see the relevance in what they are learning.
Gallagher once again provides many different and insightful ways to get students to approach texts. He gives us many great exercises to help further students’ understanding, generate focus, achieve deeper comprehension, and establish metaphorical connections. I will gladly say that I plan on using some of his exercise ideas in my own classroom. More importantly, I can see many ways to create new exercises from the examples he has provided.
Gallagher once again makes this text easily approachable because of his style of writing. He has an easy-going, anecdotal way of explaining himself.
Like his other book, Readicide, I would recommend this book to future, current, and former teachers. It ties in well with Readicide. This book was extremely helpful and inspirational.
One last thing this book taught me - By knowing what you want to achieve at the end of your lesson, you can come up with interesting and creative ways to effectively get there.
August 19, 2015
I hovered between a rating of 3 and 4 stars on this. The book has value for English teachers, but like many books chock full of "activities" to elicit deeper meaning from text, it's a little dry, especially on the back end. I like Gallagher's sensibility though. I would trust him as a reader, because he knows that "reading is not an all-or-nothing proposition. There are gray areas." I wish someone would tell the people at Common Core. I also agree with his stance that "learning begins when we encounter confusion." What happens, especially for young students in the school system, is that they feel like they ought to know what the text "means" right away. (Picture here a kid with his or her head dropped on a desk, shoulders hunched in despair). It would be very helpful if young people could "welcome and embrace confusion." I agree. When I read Kant or Kierkegaard I encounter confusion every five minutes.
Additionally, I admired his advice on: re-reading, using metaphor to deepen understanding, and providing a sense of purpose. More information on reading the internet, art, and history would be helpful. Minor quibbles. If you teach high school, as I do, and you find yourself with some dependent readers in your classroom, this book will be of significant benefit.
Additionally, I admired his advice on: re-reading, using metaphor to deepen understanding, and providing a sense of purpose. More information on reading the internet, art, and history would be helpful. Minor quibbles. If you teach high school, as I do, and you find yourself with some dependent readers in your classroom, this book will be of significant benefit.
July 22, 2018
I had three reactions to this book:
1. I already do or want to do some of these practices, yay.
2. This is a really neat explanation of why we do what we do and why to teach reading in a certain way, with an emphasis on background knowledge, rereading, graphic organizers that help build metaphorical thinking over literal comprehension and guiding readers.
3. These are simple tricks that are easy to implement across age groups and texts.
1. I already do or want to do some of these practices, yay.
2. This is a really neat explanation of why we do what we do and why to teach reading in a certain way, with an emphasis on background knowledge, rereading, graphic organizers that help build metaphorical thinking over literal comprehension and guiding readers.
3. These are simple tricks that are easy to implement across age groups and texts.
February 8, 2011
Typically, I am wary of books written from a high school teachers' POV because I feel so much will not be applicable to my very different elementary school universe. This book, however, is filled with ideas for me to try in lessons and in guided reading groups with my fourth graders. I love how Kelly Gallagher writes and love the points he makes about reading instruction. Some of it was beyond my upper elementary school realm, but overall, I'm glad I read it and I'm sure I will continue to refer to the growing list of ideas I've gathered from it.
January 6, 2013
Great book....awesome strategies I can use tomorrow, next month, next year. Quick read, entertaining, and insightful. Recommend for all teachers, not just ELA.
February 9, 2011
Must-have resource for all middle and secondary school English teachers!
January 29, 2019
1. This was a great book for me to read with the book 17,000 Classroom Visits Can't Be Wrong. In that book it showed me how to teach rigor and this book helped push me in that direction too.
2. I picked up this book because I use Kelly Gallagher's online articles in my classroom.
3. I definitely have a new tool box for my classroom.
4. I struggle with using groups in my room and just started this year to add rigor so I was glad to see information about group work in this book.
5. When I started teaching my main goal was to teach the love of reading. Four years later, it's hard to keep on that goal when state testing takes a front seat, so this was a helpful book to get me back on track to my original goal.
2. I picked up this book because I use Kelly Gallagher's online articles in my classroom.
3. I definitely have a new tool box for my classroom.
4. I struggle with using groups in my room and just started this year to add rigor so I was glad to see information about group work in this book.
5. When I started teaching my main goal was to teach the love of reading. Four years later, it's hard to keep on that goal when state testing takes a front seat, so this was a helpful book to get me back on track to my original goal.
July 8, 2022
I can’t believe I hadn’t read this yet. I guess I thought most of these ideas would be covered in one of Gallagher’s newer books, but this one is definitely worth it. As always, he explains why we need to teach at a deeper level and how we’re failing to do so currently, but he also supplies a framework and plethora of strategies to push instruction forward.
November 11, 2019
Published 2004 & now 2019, so I’ve encountered many of the strategies previously. I suppose when this book came out it was fantastic.
July 28, 2012
I picked up Kelly Gallagher’s Deeper Reading after reading Gallagher’s Teaching Adolescent Writers. I, like many other teachers, view Gallagher as a teacher rock star, and Deeper Reading does not disappoint. What I like about Gallagher is that he knows what works for teachers because he is a teacher. While his methods are clearly deeply rooted in theory and research, Gallagher presents these methods in a conversational tone, and his books read like a really good teacher-friend giving you practical advice about what works well and what makes learning fun.
Overall, Deeper Reading focuses on reading as a process. He emphasizes that our first-draft reading, much like our first draft of writing, only scratches the surface of meaning and understanding. The book is focuses on six components of deeper reading: focusing the reader, effective first-draft reading, deepening comprehension through second-draft reading, the importance of collaboration, using metaphor to deepen comprehension, and leading students to meaningful reflection. What’s great about Gallagher is that rather than focusing on why each component is important, he provides the reader with a variety of strategies to help engage students in each part of the reading process. For example, in the section “Focusing the Reader”, one of the strategies I can’t wait to try is the daily focus question (p. 46). Rather than giving students a “gotcha!” reading check quiz that really only tests their first draft of reading (which they probably did while watching Jersey Shore, or something of equal intellectual merit), you provide students with a guiding question that either deals with a major theme from said reading or helps to guide students into one of the major ideas students will be focusing on in their closer reading of the text. Gallagher even cites Sheridan Blau’s three key questions (What does it say? What does it mean? Why does it matter?) (p. 86) and expands on various ways to get students to tackle these questions on their own.
Gallagher is quickly becoming my 2nd choice go-to-guy for ways to shake things up in my classroom. (My first love is Jim Burke, and first loves die hard.) I highly recommend Deeper Reading.
Overall, Deeper Reading focuses on reading as a process. He emphasizes that our first-draft reading, much like our first draft of writing, only scratches the surface of meaning and understanding. The book is focuses on six components of deeper reading: focusing the reader, effective first-draft reading, deepening comprehension through second-draft reading, the importance of collaboration, using metaphor to deepen comprehension, and leading students to meaningful reflection. What’s great about Gallagher is that rather than focusing on why each component is important, he provides the reader with a variety of strategies to help engage students in each part of the reading process. For example, in the section “Focusing the Reader”, one of the strategies I can’t wait to try is the daily focus question (p. 46). Rather than giving students a “gotcha!” reading check quiz that really only tests their first draft of reading (which they probably did while watching Jersey Shore, or something of equal intellectual merit), you provide students with a guiding question that either deals with a major theme from said reading or helps to guide students into one of the major ideas students will be focusing on in their closer reading of the text. Gallagher even cites Sheridan Blau’s three key questions (What does it say? What does it mean? Why does it matter?) (p. 86) and expands on various ways to get students to tackle these questions on their own.
Gallagher is quickly becoming my 2nd choice go-to-guy for ways to shake things up in my classroom. (My first love is Jim Burke, and first loves die hard.) I highly recommend Deeper Reading.
January 18, 2018
Unlike "Readicide," this book is designed for deep study, pun intended. I intend to pull this book back out this coming summer as I work on redesigning my lessons for the next school year. (As long as I am still teaching ELA and the same grade level...if I teach something else next year I will be designing the lessons rather than redesigning them.) I love Gallagher's approach to teaching literature. I would have loved to have been one of his students. That is not a slam against my own high school English teachers. Although I do not remember my freshman English teacher, I dearly loved both my sophomore and junior year teacher as well as my senior English teacher, primarily because what I love about them is that they used techniques such as the ones advocated by Gallagher in their own lessons. Although in the future I hope to transition to teaching History, as long as I teach English, I want to be the best English teacher I can be. Careful study and application of this book and the concepts expounded upon within will go a long way.
I highly recommend this book to all teachers, especially English teacher.
I highly recommend this book to all teachers, especially English teacher.
February 19, 2013
Good companion piece to Gallagher's Readicide, in that this work offers some concrete suggestions to help alleviate the issues that Readicide highlights. Gallagher's work can be compared to Kylene Beers and Chris Tovani, and he writes in an easy, conversational style (peppered with baseball analogies and anecdotes), that makes it easy - I think - for beginning teachers to imagine how to use these techniques with students. I'll plan on using this text again in the future.
June 24, 2011
Another Gallagher blockbuster! Deeper Reading explores how teachers can get kids to not just fake read or highjack others who have done the work. He sets up the justification for incorporating choice and an open-workshop type atmosphere in the classroom. He also touts the idea of giving kids the space and time to read in the classroom. Great practical ideas that I can see readily incoporpating into my own classroom.
August 1, 2016
This book offered a philosophy (first draft reading and second draft reading) which makes sense when you think about how nicely it connects to what we try to tell kids about editing, drafting, etc. He offered a lot of suggestions/strategies for "second draft" reading ideas. I put bookmarks all over it! Gallagher really makes me want to be a great teacher.
June 26, 2013
Amazing I will use it every time I plan a new unit!
September 21, 2024
'While I was sitting at game seven of the World Series I was struck with the realization that baseball is a metaphor for how adolescents read. Reading is like baseball. Allow me to explain... It could be said that at a certain level they “understood” the game. But did they? As they sat right next to me watching the game, I was seeing things on the field they were oblivious to... Isn't this how many secondary students read text? They rarely get below the surface to the richer, deeper meaning of the text.'
Since 1985, Kelly Gallagher has taught English at the high school level in California. Each year, he is tasked with convincing a plurality of students that their challenging text for the year is meaningful to them. It isn't enough to assign them chapter readings from Grapes of Wrath. As their teacher, he must ensure they have activated the requisite prior knowledge. Following this, he must sharpen their eyes to spot the symbols and themes that a skilled reader like him can locate. If he skips even a step, he will have an unengaged class or set of students. As he sums up:
'This is where the real value of teaching literature is to be found. Whether my students are reading All Quiet on the Western Front or 1984, The Scarlet Letter or Their Eyes Were Watching God, it is always my goal to push their thinking beyond personal implications and toward larger connections.'
To him, reading Dostoyevsky or Toni Morrison or George Eliot is about the present. Viewing literature as a lens into the past might be sufficient for a Goodreads member. The English teacher's modus operandi, however, is to carve out meaning for his students and shepherd them to connections that exist between the text and their lives. What Gallagher shows is that reading deeply involves this Easter egg hunting for those connections. It is about seeing the presence of those themes in his students' 21st century California existence.
Through his tips, I came up with a more refined reading process. As this book is primarily for tackling fiction, and especially those formidable classics that lay dusty on the shelf, they are geared towards that. Here are the techniques that I will use moving forward for my own fiction reading:
Pre-reading: Web Searches - find 3 examples of theme or background information on the text, KWLR Charts
During reading:
3 key questions
20 questions after reading Chapter 1
Identify themes or other literary techniques and see how the author develops them over the novel
Character Charts
SOAPS - Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker's attitude
Theme Triangle (this is similar to Web Searches as finding examples of theme in multiple genres and sources - analyse how theme is developed in novel)
Post reading:
Circles of Reflection
The Most Valuable Idea (draw up two columns. The LH column has an article that illustrates the most valuable idea in the text. The RH explains the connection between the idea found in the book and the real example.
Theme Notebook (Finding examples of a theme in the novel across multiple media sources e.g radio, newspapers, books, music, movies, etc)
Theme Layers (again connecting theme to multiple parts of your life)
Hunt for the Author's Purpose with Evidence
This is a good companion to Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature Like an English Professor. As a rule, I've found that books written for educators like Gallagher's tend to be more actionable. Deeper Reading was no exception. Highly recommended for those wanting to deepen their reading of classics or literary fiction.
Since 1985, Kelly Gallagher has taught English at the high school level in California. Each year, he is tasked with convincing a plurality of students that their challenging text for the year is meaningful to them. It isn't enough to assign them chapter readings from Grapes of Wrath. As their teacher, he must ensure they have activated the requisite prior knowledge. Following this, he must sharpen their eyes to spot the symbols and themes that a skilled reader like him can locate. If he skips even a step, he will have an unengaged class or set of students. As he sums up:
'This is where the real value of teaching literature is to be found. Whether my students are reading All Quiet on the Western Front or 1984, The Scarlet Letter or Their Eyes Were Watching God, it is always my goal to push their thinking beyond personal implications and toward larger connections.'
To him, reading Dostoyevsky or Toni Morrison or George Eliot is about the present. Viewing literature as a lens into the past might be sufficient for a Goodreads member. The English teacher's modus operandi, however, is to carve out meaning for his students and shepherd them to connections that exist between the text and their lives. What Gallagher shows is that reading deeply involves this Easter egg hunting for those connections. It is about seeing the presence of those themes in his students' 21st century California existence.
Through his tips, I came up with a more refined reading process. As this book is primarily for tackling fiction, and especially those formidable classics that lay dusty on the shelf, they are geared towards that. Here are the techniques that I will use moving forward for my own fiction reading:
Pre-reading: Web Searches - find 3 examples of theme or background information on the text, KWLR Charts
During reading:
3 key questions
20 questions after reading Chapter 1
Identify themes or other literary techniques and see how the author develops them over the novel
Character Charts
SOAPS - Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker's attitude
Theme Triangle (this is similar to Web Searches as finding examples of theme in multiple genres and sources - analyse how theme is developed in novel)
Post reading:
Circles of Reflection
The Most Valuable Idea (draw up two columns. The LH column has an article that illustrates the most valuable idea in the text. The RH explains the connection between the idea found in the book and the real example.
Theme Notebook (Finding examples of a theme in the novel across multiple media sources e.g radio, newspapers, books, music, movies, etc)
Theme Layers (again connecting theme to multiple parts of your life)
Hunt for the Author's Purpose with Evidence
This is a good companion to Thomas Foster's How to Read Literature Like an English Professor. As a rule, I've found that books written for educators like Gallagher's tend to be more actionable. Deeper Reading was no exception. Highly recommended for those wanting to deepen their reading of classics or literary fiction.
August 4, 2019
I found Write Like This to be a more idea-filled text; this book seemed to me to focus on driving home a particular point than on practical classroom practices. Gallagher is a fabulous writer, and he’s also clearly a great teacher — this book is still incredible and worth a read for teachers of literature and literacy! It did offer practical ideas for classroom practices, but to me often seemed more like a defense of teaching literature. The point that students read literature to prepare them for the deeper thinking that they do later in life is repeated many times throughout the book, and I agree! So, for me, I preferred his approach in other books where he took my agreement for granted and got into how we can help students were more interesting to me. Seriously though, Kelly Gallagher is an insightful and important writer about the art and practice of teaching reading, and while there were things I wish this text had done differently I am absolutely glad I read it and will probably return to it again and again for inspiration in my teaching career.
June 14, 2020
I have been reading about reading lately. I have been working my way through a number of books that I hope will help me to help the struggling readers in my high school social studies classes. Kelly Gallagher's Deeper Reading is my least favorite so far. It isn't that it's a bad book, it just wasn't really written for me. The book is really intended to help literature teachers, and almost all the examples are designed for the English classroom. I did gain valuable ideas, just not as many as I have gained from some of the other books I've read. Gallagher takes a straight-forward approach, giving ideas for what the teacher must do before, during, and after a reading to help students gain the most from the experience. He gives specific ideas for each of these time frames. One of the last chapters is entitled, Reading the World and gives helpful advice beyond teaching literature, but the main focus of the book is definitely to help literature teachers. It's a helpful book, just not too helpful to me.
May 4, 2025
I LOVE THIS BOOK! As a first year teacher striving to do everything perfectly, this reminded me that I am pushing myself too hard too fast, when kids just need to be reminded of the basics. Gallagher offers a practical guide for teachers who want to help students engage with both simple texts and challenging texts in meaningful ways. What sets this book apart is Gallagher’s ability to blend his studies on education with tangible classroom strategies. His techniques such as guiding students through “first draft” and “second draft” readings, using metaphors to clarify complex ideas, and encouraging purposeful reflection are all rooted in his actual teaching experience, making them both accessible and effective. Gallagher also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and real world connections, encouraging students not just to understand what they read, but to think critically about its relevance. Add this to your list of books to read as a new educator ASAP!
March 8, 2018
I've been teaching English for about 20 years, and I read this book seeking ways to help aid struggling readers, something I've been seeing more and more recently. He has very concrete steps to help students read texts better. I like how he refers to reading as "first draft" and "second draft" readings, and I can see using t-charts, essential questions, key words, and metaphors in the texts I teach. I'm not sure I agreed with him on multiple choice tests being too basic--you can construct higher-level thinking multiple choice questions that ask kids to analyze and not just recall--and I'd like to see the later chapters updated (he references using calling cards for long-distance calls and doesn't mention social media at all. Still a good, practical tool for teachers with many resources to assist students in becoming better readers.
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February 3, 2021Although this is an old book, I am satisfied with the many concrete suggestions offered by Gallagher to engage students in “deeper reading.” I appreciate that this book wasn’t just theory and research; it provided practical applications that I could use in my classroom tomorrow. Despite some outdated statistics, I know the old research is consistent with what is still going on in classrooms today; things are even more dire now. I never regret purchasing a Gallagher book, and I’m grateful to whichever undergrad professor of mine made me read him in the first place.
November 10, 2017
Everything in this book works hand in hand with Reading Apprenticeship and in many cases, I'm finding the same thoughts and ideas in both. What I like most about this book, however, is the specific examples and clear ideas for application. It's very inspiring. I have already taken his strategies into the classroom with great results with my kids. The activities are fun and engaging and it's really helping my struggling readers to dive back into the text.
June 21, 2019
I read this as part of a professional development activity as a teacher.
I found the book to be highly readable and full of many excellent activities that I can't wait to try next school year.
I highly recommend it for anyone looking for new reading and discussion activities, whether you're a new or veteran teacher or somewhere in between.
I found the book to be highly readable and full of many excellent activities that I can't wait to try next school year.
I highly recommend it for anyone looking for new reading and discussion activities, whether you're a new or veteran teacher or somewhere in between.
August 14, 2019
Excellent ideas, suggestions, and excel isles for teaching beyond literal reading.
This book contains a lot of great information for teachers looking to help their students dive deeper into a text.
I would definitely recommend it for any English teacher looking for ideas on how to help their students read better, think better, and truly find meaning.
This book contains a lot of great information for teachers looking to help their students dive deeper into a text.
I would definitely recommend it for any English teacher looking for ideas on how to help their students read better, think better, and truly find meaning.
January 25, 2018
Gallagher does a great job teaching how to teach literacy. With this text, I believe I can add many strategies into my classroom and I'm excited to have this book on my shelf as a reference when I feel unmotivated or non creative.
April 9, 2019
I was very pleasantly surprised by this particular resource. The only thing keeping it from being a five-star book is the fact that it's a bit outdated (2004). However, many of the activities and studies are still relevant.
July 23, 2019
Reading Kelly Gallagher's books always makes me feel so inadequate as a HS ELA teacher! But about 30 Post-It flags later, I'm confident that I have a few ideas to help me make steps towards becoming a better "teacher" - not just an "assigner" or "information dispenser"!
September 7, 2019
Although the examples were mainly high school, the book offered some great, practical ideas. This is not a book to sit down and read from cover to cover. I recommend having on hand as you plan out lessons.
July 7, 2023
Textbooks are books, right? Ill keep counting these towards my reading goal! A little outdated now but just barely - so much of the book is still so, so relevant (pub. 2004). Loved the activities Gallagher provides, especially on making metaphorical meaning.
June 4, 2017
This is a wonderful book that shares some wonderful insights into how to teach older readers to read more deeply. I loved that the strategies shared are not complicated and will be easy to implement!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews