The Handbook of Research on Reading Comprehension is the seminal research handbook on reading comprehension. The third edition is an edited comprehensive compilation that summarizes the body of research on reading comprehension, building on the research of the first and second editions.
The purpose of the third edition is to provide a resource to:
• Summarize the theory, methods, instruction, assessment, landmark studies, recent advances, and trends in reading comprehension research
• Provide a comprehensive reference for a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including scholars, educators, leaders, policymakers, and the general public, on matters that influence and directly affect the educational goals relative to literacy achievement
• Guide mentors and doctoral candidates seeking doctoral-level preparation in the area of reading comprehension research
• Make available the developments in reading comprehension from a global perspective by focusing on international researchers and populations
• Highlight cutting-edge technological trends and implications
• Guide leaders toward decision-making grounded in scientific structures and research
• Focus on equity issues as they relate to the domain of reading comprehension situated within the context of cultural demands in today’s society
Noteworthy Features in the Third Edition: The handbook consists of the following unique features:
• Comprehensive Overview: Each chapter provides a review of the research base in an area of reading comprehension research, as well as the historical and theoretical perspectives inherent to the topic, with authors emphasizing the landmark studies that have been published since the second edition.
• Contributor Expertise: Each chapter author is the leading expert in the area of expertise on the topic, bringing extensive breadth and depth to the topic, covering all aspects of the domain.
• Chapter Structure: Each chapter will include similar organizational features, which focus on the overall outline of the chapter and questions the chapter will address, a summary of the research, significant contributions, recent advances, guiding principles relevant to the domain, a summary of instructional interventions, and applications for future research. New chapter features will attend to technology, methodology, policy applications, and international scholarship.
• Questions for Discussion: New to the third edition is the contribution of two–four guiding questions that share the breadth and depth of the primary focus of the chapter’s contents. Guiding questions can be used to stimulate deeper conversation in school professional development groups, as well as classroom and study groups.
• Technology Links: Each chapter author identifies technological advancements both on- and offline, as well as including any relevant digital resources that readers can readily access. This new feature is to provide an interactive platform with the author and the readers.
This is an essential reference volume for the international community of researchers, scholars, educators, graduate students, and professionals working in the area of reading and literacy.
Susan E. Israel, PhD, is a literacy researcher, educator, and author who has focused her research agenda on reading comprehension since her early days teaching in the classroom over 25 years ago. She taught at the University of Notre Dame, in the Alliance for Catholic Education summer program, and at the University of Dayton, where she received the Panhellenic Council Outstanding Professor Award. Dr. Israel is a recipient of a Teacher as Researcher grant from the International Literacy Association (ILA) and has served on several ILA committees and interest groups, including as president of the History of Literacy Special Interest Group.
