Reading and Writing Across Content Areas

"We often hear middle and high school teachers are frustrated because their students can′t understand the textbooks or can′t write effectively about their particular content. This book will provide both the framework for solving this dilemma and the specific, practical classroom practices that teachers can use each day to help students become more competent readers and writers."
-Douglas Johnson, Assistant Superintendent
Kane County Regional Office of Education, IL

"Every middle school and secondary teacher should have a copy of this book. It not only provides the theoretical basis for each strategy, but it also provides effective instructions for use of the strategies in the classroom."
-Dorothy Giroux, Program Director, Initial Teacher Preparation Program
School of Education, Loyola University Chicago  

Eager for proven methods to strengthen your students′ content literacy?

Then this book is a must-have for your classroom! Using a step-by-step approach that makes the strategies easy to understand and implement, the authors provide updated research-based strategies that will help increase your students′ reading comprehension, strengthen their writing skills, and build vocabulary across content areas. Expanded coverage of content literacy, additional reading and writing strategies for exploring content, and suggestions for working with struggling readers are included in this revised edition.

This rich resource also offers:

• Tips for using trade books in the classroom
• Graphic organizers to help students recognize text structures
• Assessment tools
• Technology activities in every chapter
• Real classroom examples of how the strategies have been implemented
• More ways to evaluate the "readability" of textbooks
• Over 40 ready-to-use reproducibles

Whether you are getting ready to begin teaching or are a veteran teacher, this accessible, invaluable handbook will give you the tools you need to help your students become lifelong learners!

Roberta L. Sejnost is a university professor and literacy consultant who has taught secondary-level courses in social studies, reading, and English, and college-level courses in literacy, authentic assessment, brain-based learning, multiple intelligences, and cooperative learning. A nationally recognized staff developer and certified trainer, Sejnost has presented at over 200 educational conferences across the country. In 2003, she received the Reading Educator of the Year award from the Illinois Reading Council. Sejnost received a master of education degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a doctorate of education in curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University, Chicago.

Sharon Thiese currently teaches writing at Lewis University, Romeoville, Illinois, and graduate classes for Aurora University, Aurora, Illinois. She is also certified in gifted education and a member of Illinois Association for Gifted Children. In addition, Thiese is a certified trainer in gifted education, authentic assessment, multiple intelligences, portfolios, differentiation, and reading and writing across content areas, and she has presented at numerous local and statewide workshops and conferences. Thiese received a master of arts in English from Northeastern University and a master of arts in writing from National-Louis University, Chicago. She taught English and writing at Geneva High School in Geneva, Illinois, and has been Geneva Community Unit 304’s high school educator of the year. She is also recognized in Who’s Who of American Educators.