Reading Essentials: The Specifics You Need to Teach Reading Well | 
 enlarge | Author: Regie Routman
Publisher: Heinemann
Category: Book
List Price: $27.50
Buy New: $18.99
You Save: $8.51 (31%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 23257
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 272
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 0325004927
Dewey Decimal Number: 372.4
EAN: 9780325004921
ASIN: 0325004927
Publication Date: October 4, 2002
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Product Description
With all the controversy and confusion over "best practice" issues in teaching reading, someone with the necessary experience, the ability to take the long view, and most of all a level head is essential to set things straight. This is where Regie Routman steps in: giving clarity, support, specific demonstrations, and confidence to teachers so they can teach reading in a manner that is consistent with research and learning theory and respectful of students' needs, interests, and abilities. In Reading Essentials, she realistically describes how to achieve these goalsand get high test scores too. Based on her continuing work teaching in schools, Routman proves that good teaching doesn't have to mean lots of hours spent planning. What's necessary is good thinkingthinking about what matters to kids, what kids need to know, how we can move them forward, and how to ensure that they comprehend and enjoy what they readincluding struggling students. Readers will discover research-based strategies, immediately doable ideas, and detailed lessonsall based on an instructional framework that includes: - demonstrations
- shared demonstrations
- guided practice
- independent practice.
Thoughout the text, Routman emphasizes the use of professional common sense and demonstrates how to maximize your time, making the most of every teachable moment. Practical, philosophical, and political, Reading Essentials gets to the heart of what excellent reading instruction is all aboutand puts the fun back into your teaching.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
Awesome! September 15, 2008
This is a great resource to utilize for implementing a balance literacy program in your classroom.
Practical AND Inspirational August 26, 2008
I love how Regie Routman balances passion with dedication and inspires enthusiasm for even the most mundane routines. She understands that a happy teacher is a good teacher, and is one of the few who encourages educators to have a personal life and share important parts of themselves with students. "Reading Essentials" is not just a practical guide to literacy education: it's a call for teachers to fall in love with reading and inspire the same passion in their students. The children I've taught have learned to become authentic, purposeful, and enthusiastic readers in large part because of Regie Routman's ideas and strategies.
 Tips for the 5th grade classroom teacher February 24, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is unquestionably the best "how-to" book on teaching reading that I have come across. It is written from the standpoint of a classroom teacher, but there are plenty of essential ideas for homeschoolers, too. One way or another it covers every (as far as I can see) important point, and I agree with most of them. The best chapter is #8, Teaching Comprehension, where the first sidebar says "Teach Comprehension Right from the Start." Cool!
Routman moves most of the academic material to the end of the book, where there are many endnotes with references to research articles and a hefty index.
So what's not to like? The text is more of a collection of ideas and tips rather than an evolving education in teaching literacy (which I would love to see Routman take on). The many entry points to the text material (sidebars, bullet points, "Try it, Apply it" tabs, chapter heads, and subheadings) prevented me from finding a continuous, developing thread of instruction. The book is, as it sets out to be, a tune-up guide for trained teachers who are already dealing with classrooms of students. There is too little step-by-step guidance for homeschoolers who are new to teaching literacy. This is especially apparent in dealing with very early readers, where specific training, commercial materials lists, and informal assessments would be welcome (Routman seems to say that such would be infeasible). I missed recommended reading lists that might specifically tie in with coaching in the text, and striking the best balance of phonics to reading is brought out, but left up to the intuition of the teacher.
The thrust of most of the book is about 5th grade difficulties, but it seems to me that a solid K-3 program would head off most of those problems. I found K-3 to be the weakest component of the book.
Routman acknowledges the many demands on classroom teachers for their time and compassion, but I think she is unrealistic about what is achievable in a classroom-based school setting. Interestingly, though she never mentions homeschooling, her prescriptives are precisely what motivates homeschoolers (this one, at least) and homeschooling is a very sensible response to many of the ills she addresses.
Finally, I had the nagging feeling that the book could have benefited from being substantially shorter. Whatever shortcomings Reading Essentials may have for homeschoolers, it's still the best resource available, and it IS essential.
Excellent for beginning teachers September 16, 2007
This is an awesome resource for beginning or student teachers and helps with the basics. Very clear, simple and direct.
Reading Essentials July 25, 2007
Great!One of the best books on reading instruction ever! Easy to read, and very well organized,full of practical tips,and lots of student examples. Enjoy!
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