Reading for Understanding: How Reading Apprenticeship Improves Disciplinary Learning in Secondary and College Classrooms

"As elegantly practical as it is theoretically elegant. It is aguided tour, as one examines the tools of expert teachers as theyengage students in a journey that is aptly dubbed ReadingApprenticeship?learning how to become a savvy, strategic readerunder the tutelage of thoughtful, caring, and demanding teachers.?P. David Pearson, University of California, Berkeley, and foundingeditor of the Handbook of Reading Research.

Reading for Understanding is a monumental achievement. Itwas a monumental achievement when it came out as a first edition in1999, bringing years of rigorous reading research together in aframework for teaching that made sense in actual secondary schoolclassrooms. Now, just thirteen years later, Schoenbach andGreenleaf have several randomized clinical trials and multipleon-going studies at their fingertips to demonstrate the effects ofthis approach for developing the reading and thinking of youngpeople in our nation?s middle and high school classrooms, as wellas in community college classrooms. Their careful work ondeveloping disciplinary literacy among all students represents apassion for and commitment to supporting students?and theirteachers?in reading for understanding, which translates to readingfor enjoyment, self-awareness, learning, and for purposeful andinformed action in our society. ?Elizabeth Moje, Arthur F. ThurnauProfessor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Education,University of Michigan

Reading Apprenticeship has proven to be an inspiration to RentonTechnical College faculty and students alike. They have learnedtogether to view themselves as readers in transformative ways, asthey embrace powerful techniques to increase reading comprehension.The ideas and strategies in Reading for Understanding anchorthis new and broad-based energy around reading and an enthusiasmamong our faculty to model effective reading strategies for ourstudents. ?Steve Hanson, President, Renton Technical College,Renton, Washington Reading for Understanding has the finestblend I have seen of research, strategies, and classroom vignettesto deepen teacher learning and help them connect the dots betweentheory and practice. ?Curtis Refior, Content Area Literacy Coach,Fowlerville Community Schools, Fowlerville, Michigan

 A teacher-tested, research-based resource fordramatically improving reading skills

Published in partnership with WestEd, this significantly updatedsecond edition of the bestselling book contains strategies forhelping students in middle school through community college gainthe reading independence to master subject area textbooks and othermaterial.

• Based on the Reading Apprenticeship program, which threerigorous "gold standard" research studies have shown to beeffective in raising students' reading achievement
• Presents a clear framework for improving the reading andsubject area learning of all students, including English learners,students with special needs, as well as those in honors and APcourses
• Provides concrete tools for classroom use and examples from arange of classrooms
• Presents a clear how-to for teachers implementing the subjectarea literacies of the Common Core Standards

Reading for Understanding proves it's never too late forteachers and students to work together to boost literacy,engagement, and achievement.

THE AUTHORS

Ruth Schoenbach and Cynthia Greenleaf are co-directors of WestEd's Strategic Literacy Initiative (SLI) and the principal developers of the Reading Apprenticeship framework.

Lynn Murphy is SLI's director of materials development.

SLI conducts literacy research and manages an extensive program of professional development for teachers, administrators and literacy coaches, community college instructors, and teacher educators nationwide.